Ministers must be honest about Russian threat to UK, says former Foreign Office head

Former security officials are warning because Russia’s pressure is no longer viewed as a distant military problem. Peter Ricketts said cyber-assaults could target banking, energy and water systems. He warned that hybrid attacks are becoming more reckless and dangerous. One could eventually cause deaths somewhere.

The threat works by disrupting systems that people and businesses depend on every day. A cyberattack could interrupt payments, energy supplies or water services without tanks crossing a border. Ricketts said Britain also needs stronger protection for transport, air traffic control and defence infrastructure.

The warning has been reinforced by MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum and army chief Gen Sir Roly Walker. McCallum called Russia the number one aggressor, while Walker urged a frank discussion about defence sacrifices. Their message is that Britain must invest now in resilience and prepare the public for possible disruption.

A hybrid attack combines non-traditional methods to weaken a country. In this article’s context, that includes cyber-assaults against banking systems, energy supplies, water services and other infrastructure. The goal can be disruption, fear or weakened public morale.

A conventional military invasion is more direct. It involves armed forces openly crossing borders and using weapons, territory and physical force. Ricketts specifically said he was not predicting industrial war with tanks rolling across the north German plain. Instead, he warned about attacks that could happen below the threshold of open war.

The danger is that hybrid attacks can still have serious consequences. They may interrupt essential services, damage confidence and create pressure on governments. Ricketts said such attacks are becoming more reckless. He warned that people could eventually be killed, making stronger protection and a public discussion about spending increasingly urgent.

The article names six broad types of essential services or infrastructure that could face attacks: banking, energy, water, transport, air traffic control and defence. It does not provide an official numbered list, but these categories are identified across Ricketts’s comments.

The first examples are banking systems, energy supplies and water supplies. Later, Ricketts adds transport, air traffic control and defence. These systems are connected to daily life and national security. Disrupting one could create wider pressure on people, businesses or government operations.

Ricketts’s central point is that protection must improve across these sectors. He called for more investment in resilience and said the government must have that argument with the British public. The article links this need to increasingly reckless Russian hybrid attacks and warnings from MI5 and the British army.

Cyberattacks on essential systems could make ordinary life difficult very quickly. Disrupted banking could interfere with payments and business transactions. Problems affecting energy or water could interrupt heating, power, pumping and other basic services. Transport and air traffic control failures could prevent people and goods from moving.

These interruptions could spread beyond the original target. Businesses might be unable to operate, supply chains could be delayed, and public confidence could fall. The article does not quantify the economic cost, but Ricketts said banking, energy, water, transport and other key infrastructure need better protection.

The most serious consequence could be loss of life. Ricketts said hybrid attacks are becoming more reckless and that, one day, people could be killed somewhere. That warning is why he called for investment in resilience and a public conversation about finding the money to protect critical systems.

Several senior British figures are warning about Russia. Peter Ricketts, a former national security adviser and former top Foreign Office civil servant, urged ministers to speak honestly with the public. Sir Ken McCallum, MI5’s director general, called Russia the number one aggressor. Gen Sir Roly Walker, the chief of the general staff, also warned about the risks.

Their responsibilities differ. MI5 works against threats from hostile states. The army prepares soldiers for possible conflict and helps protect national security. Ricketts is no longer a serving official, but he is using his experience to argue for stronger protection of key infrastructure. Ministers must decide priorities and provide funding.

Together, the warnings point to both immediate and long-term work. McCallum said MI5 is devoting more resources to hostile-state threats than during the cold war. Walker called for a frank conversation about defence sacrifices, while Ricketts demanded better resilience across essential sectors.

Ricketts connected Russia’s pressure on Europe with its effort to break morale in Ukraine. He said Vladimir Putin was also trying to undermine morale in European countries. The pressure therefore extends beyond the battlefield, using fear, disruption and political uncertainty to test support for Kyiv.

That uncertainty grew after a difficult week for Ukraine. Donald Trump waived several economic sanctions on Russia, saying the decision was in the US national interest. He also suggested Ukraine needed a new leader. Concerns were raised that the US had withdrawn intelligence sharing, leaving Ukrainian towns and cities more vulnerable to attack.

The article presents these developments as a weakening of apparent US support. Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised Trump’s position during an EU summit. Ricketts said Britain was unlikely to influence Trump in the short term, while Russia’s hybrid pressure could continue to challenge European confidence and resolve.

National infrastructure resilience means ensuring vital systems can withstand disruption and continue serving people. It also means reducing the damage when attacks occur. Ricketts argued that Britain’s energy, transport, air traffic control, defence, banking and water systems all need better protection.

The mechanism is preparation before a crisis. Governments and operators can invest in stronger safeguards, backup arrangements and recovery capacity. The article does not list specific technologies or plans, but it makes clear that protection must cover several connected sectors. A failure in one area could place pressure on others.

This work requires long-term public investment because resilience cannot be created after an attack has begun. Ricketts said the government must have an honest conversation with the British people and find the money. His argument reflects warnings from MI5 and the army that Russia’s threat is becoming more immediate and dangerous.