Kathrine Frich
Baroness Manningham‑Buller says Russia’s covert actions mean the UK may already be at war with Moscow.
Baroness Manningham‑Buller says Russia’s covert actions mean the UK may already be at war with Moscow.
Britain ‘already at war with Russia’
Baroness Manningham‑Buller led Britain’s Security Service from 2002 to 2007.
She gave the stark warning during an appearance on the Lord Speaker’s Corner podcast, agreeing with US‑British expert Fiona Hill that a “new kind of conflict” is under way.
Cyberattacks and sabotage
Describing Moscow’s campaign, the former MI5 chief said:
“Fiona Hill may be right in saying we’re already at war with Russia. It’s a different sort of war, but the hostility, the cyberattacks, the physical attacks, intelligence work is extensive.”
Her comments echo growing concern in Westminster about so‑called hybrid warfare.
Hybrid warfare thrives on ‘plausible deniability’
Arsalan Bilal of NATO’s Centre for Peace Studies has written that hybrid war blurs the lines between peace and conflict.
“There is ample room for plausible deniability, and there is often little evidence to establish culpability,” he explained, noting tactics such as disinformation, cyber‑attacks and political assassinations.
Litvinenko murder marked a turning point
Manningham‑Buller cited Vladimir Putin’s order to kill Alexander Litvinenko in London as evidence of Russia’s long‑standing hostility.
“We all hoped that at the end of the Soviet Union we would have a potential partner,” she recalled.
“But actually we were wrong… within a year he’d be ordering the murder on London streets.”
From G8 summits to open hostility
The former spy chief met Putin during the 2005 G8 summit in London, at a time when Western governments believed Russia could be integrated into global institutions.
Her testimony now underscores how far relations have fallen since that optimistic moment.
Europe feels Moscow’s reach without a single shot
Hybrid war means Putin can reach deep into European societies without launching missiles.
Drones recently shut down Danish airspace, prompting Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to warn that a “hybrid war” has started in Europe.
These incidents show how pressure can be applied without formal invasion.
UK warned it could be paralysed by disruption
Colonel Hamish de Bretton‑Gordon, a former British Army chemical weapons expert, told The Telegraph the UK could be brought to a standstill if such attacks escalated.
He warned of “no flights, limited infrastructure and food shortages” as a possible outcome of Russia’s tactics.
Trump’s stance fuels Kremlin confidence
De Bretton‑Gordon added: “Trump’s indecision is fuelling Russia’s hybrid war against the West.
If Russia can persuade Europe that the US will not come to their aid and will not support Article 5, they have nearly won.”
His remarks link American politics to European security vulnerabilities.
Fiona Hill calls Britain ‘in pretty big trouble’
Fiona Hill, biographer of Putin and adviser to President Trump during his first term, has warned that Britain is caught geopolitically between an aggressive Russia and an unpredictable US.
Her analysis underpins Starmer’s 2025 strategic defence review.
A ‘grey zone’ invasion before Christmas?
Security commentators have noted Russian plans for so‑called “grey zone” tactics – operations just below the threshold of open war.
Defectors have claimed Moscow hopes to trigger a crisis in Europe before year’s end, further blurring peace and conflict.
Public warnings grow more frequent
From spy ships “flexing muscles” in European waters to drone incursions over NATO states, each incident reinforces the sense that Russia’s confrontation with the West is no longer theoretical.
Britain’s ex‑MI5 chief says it must be recognised for what it is.
Britain urged to strengthen resilience
Experts argue the UK needs stronger cyber defences, counter‑disinformation strategies and public awareness to withstand this new era of conflict.
Without such measures, Baroness Manningham‑Buller’s warning that “we’re already at war” could become accepted reality.
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, which may have used AI in the preparation
