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Spectator
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Grey zone warfare is here. Britain must catch up
The 'grey zone' is the kind of ominous jargon beloved of the military, but for once it is well named: a wide range of hostile activities between states which stops short of the threshold of full-scale conflict, including espionage, cyber disruption and disinformation. It is a state which is neither peace nor war, and it is expanding all the time. The House of Commons Defence Committee has just published a report on the subject, Defence in the Grey Zone. It emphasises that, while the vast majority of the population has become insulated from conflict, this kind of activity brings the reality of disruption and violence to our everyday lives and is being exploited by our adversaries, especially Russia. Labour MP Tan Dhesi, chair of the committee, warned: Are we at war? Yes and no Grey zone threats pose a particularly insidious challenge – they unsettle the fabric of our day-to-day lives and undermine our ability to respond. Grey zone threats bring war to the doorstep of each and every one of us. These attacks do not discriminate; they target the whole of our society and so demand a whole of society response, in which we all must play our part. Echoing the language of the recently published Strategic Defence Review, the report concludes that we need a 'whole-of-society' approach to these threats, and that, while the armed forces have a key role to play, they can only be part of a wider part of national security and resilience. It urges the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to engage with business and industry, schools, community groups and society at large to raise awareness of the threat, but also to share technological expertise and experience of crisis management. By spreading the responsibility, the armed forces will then be able to focus on those tasks which only they can carry out, like maritime and air patrol and deterring and defeating traditional military threats. What are we actually talking about? The report points to critical national infrastructure like undersea cables – around 60 individual cables carry 99 per cent of data to and from the UK – and the protection of shipping lanes, for supply and for the movement of military forces in time of war. It also stresses the vulnerability of many of our businesses and industries to disruption through cyber attack. These are not hypothetical threats we may have to face at some undetermined point in the future. They are happening now. Remember that in 2018 agents of Russian military intelligence, the GRU, tried to murder Sergei Skripal, a former double agent holding British citizenship, and his daughter Yulia by poisoning in Salisbury; three months later, two more people were poisoned by carelessly discarded traces of the same Novichok nerve agent, and one, Dawn Sturgess, died. Russian hostile activity goes much further than this. Three men have just been convicted of an arson attack in March 2024 on a warehouse in east London from where humanitarian aid and communications technology were being shipped to Ukraine. They were acting on behalf of the Wagner group, the Kremlin-controlled private military company. And last August I wrote in this magazine about Russian surveillance of military sites in the UK. It is not just Russia. China is heavily involved in espionage in the UK: Christine Lee, allegedly an agent of the Chinese Communist party's United Work Front Department, spent years lobbying and donating to British politicians until the security service issued an interference alert for her in 2022. The following year, Chinese businessman Yang Tengbo was denied entry to the UK on the alleged grounds that he was using a relationship with Prince Andrew to spy for Beijing. Are we at war? Yes and no. It would certainly be disingenuous to say our relationships with Russia and China are harmonious; to frame it as neutrally as possible, the governments of both countries are actively involved in undertakings which are harmful to our national interests. That is why the Defence Committee's report is so timely and so urgent. The committee makes various specific recommendations: there should be a dedicated homeland minister to coordinate action across Whitehall; Royal Navy warships should be equipped to operate for extended periods in the Arctic to support the potential deployment of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) in the High North; we should reinforce the JEF and maintain a more powerful military presence in the Baltic Sea. All these are worth considering. The most important point comes towards the end of the report: At societal level, the Ministry of Defence should draw on its understanding of the threats faced to make a greater impact by proactively engaging far more with wider society… to help generate a dialogue around those threats to the UK and build consensus around a common response. Peeling away the language of a committee: the threat is here, now, and it is substantial. We need to provide the resources to match it, but we also need the mentality to understand that Russia and China are focused on their interests and do not mean us well. Our adversaries have no illusions, and we cannot afford them either.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
UK-Russia military hotline breakdown since Ukraine war weighs heavy on top British Admiral
UK-Russia military hotline breakdown raises strategic alarm UK Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Tony Radakin told the House of Commons Defence Committee he regrets the breakdown of direct military communications with Russia, specifically referencing the loss of a previously active hotline with Russian Chief of the General Staff General Valery Gerasimov. 'I used to have calls with General Gerasimov,' Radakin said during the June 10 session. He noted that he and then-Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had spoken with Gerasimov around February 11, 2022, just days before Russia launched its 'special military operation' in Ukraine. The communication occurred through a dedicated military hotline between the UK Ministry of Defence and the Russian General Staff's Situation Centre. According to defense officials, the hotline had been tested daily for functionality and reserved for urgent crisis communication. Despite escalating tensions with Russia, the UK has maintained strong ties with Ukraine, with UK Defence Chief Admiral Sir Tony Radakin meeting his Ukrainian and French counterparts in Kyiv in April, 2025 to discuss the structure and size of an international "reassurance force" to support any future peace deal. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Indonesia (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Also read: NATO chief calls for 'quantum leap' in defence and says Russia could attack in 5 years That channel was effectively discontinued after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. No further call logs or tests have been reported since, suggesting that the mil-to-mil link between the UK and Russia was severed. Live Events 'In a dangerous world, not having those mil-to-mil communications - that's a regret,' Radakin said. Hotline served as strategic de-escalation tool before breakdown The UK-Russia hotline was not just symbolic. It served as a crucial crisis-management tool during escalating tensions between the two nuclear powers. The daily-tested line ensured that high-level commanders could resolve potential misunderstandings quickly. In addition to the February 2022 contact, the channel was reportedly used again in October 2022, when Radakin and Gerasimov spoke following Russia's public allegations that Ukraine was preparing to use a 'dirty bomb.' That exchange was part of broader efforts to clarify intent and prevent dangerous misinterpretations. Officials on both sides acknowledged the importance of such conversations in avoiding miscalculation. Also read: From 10,000 to 1,00,000 drones: UK increases drone deliveries to Ukraine days after Operation Spider's Web Despite this interaction, no sustained military dialogue resumed after 2022. With the hotline's eventual collapse, the UK lost the capacity to initiate direct communication with Russia's military command during periods of heightened risk. Loss of UK-Russia military communication raises escalation risks Admiral Radakin's concern reflects broader NATO anxieties about losing critical 'deconfliction' tools amid ongoing global instability. With no direct UK–Russia military channel in place, misunderstandings during operations near Eastern Europe, the Black Sea, or NATO airspace could escalate quickly. 'Not having those mil-to-mil communications' has become more consequential as both sides engage in active and indirect conflicts worldwide. Although some diplomatic channels remain open, military-to-military discussions, especially for crisis prevention, are not currently functional. Also read: Six Chilling Ways Putin's Russia Could Destroy the UK Within Hours: British Government Warns As global tensions rise and armed conflict continues in Ukraine, the breakdown of this once-active military hotline underscores the growing strategic risk. For now, Radakin and other UK officials must rely on NATO or multilateral frameworks for any engagement with Russia's armed forces.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Armed forces facing ‘lottery' in access to healthcare and school places
Military personnel are facing a 'lottery' in access to healthcare services for themselves and their families and getting their children into school. The 'unpredictability and mobility' of service life has made this worse, the chairman of the House of Commons Defence Committee has said. Inconsistencies in the implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant, which supports the military community through a range of initiatives and grants, puts personnel at a disadvantage, a report from the committee found. A 'worrying number' of people felt that the covenant was 'ineffective' or had been 'disregarded' when they cited it, the report said. Some reported they missed out on getting NHS treatment because they fell to the bottom of waiting lists when moved to a new place of duty, while others said they had difficulty finding school places for their children. Committee chairman Tan Dhesi said the report finds that the covenant is 'inconsistently implemented'. He said: 'We heard evidence of personnel being financially disadvantaged, unable to access necessary medical care, or unable to find an appropriate school for their children, due to their service. 'When the covenant works – it works well. 'Personnel and their families told us that they had successfully made use of the legal duty of the covenant to access services. 'But this is a lottery, made worse by the unpredictability and mobility of service life. 'When trying to access healthcare, each move can send service families to the bottom of waiting lists for treatment.' He urged the Government to provide guidance and direction so the private and public sector are clear on what their responsibilities are to service personnel and their families. The Labour Party committed in its manifesto to putting the covenant 'fully into law'. The Defence Committee called for the legal duty to give due regard to military service to be expanded to central governments and the devolved administrations. It also pressed for policy development in Whitehall to take armed forces' needs into account. The Local Government Association (LGA) said councils are committed to meeting veterans' needs and ensuring they have access to housing, health and community services. But the LGA also stressed that councils need to be 'adequately funded' in the upcoming spending review to provide resources, especially if they take on further duties. Helen Maguire, the Liberal Democrats' defence spokeswoman, urged the Government to follow through on its promise to back the Armed Forces Covenant. The Lib Dem MP, who previously served in the Royal Military Police, said: 'Our military personnel put their lives on the line for our country. So it's utterly unacceptable that, by virtue of their sacrifice, they should find it harder to access healthcare and education. 'I know first hand how difficult it can be to battle the postcode lottery of public service provision for military personnel – and it can't be allowed to continue. The Government must now follow through on its promise at the election to strengthen the Covenant and fully back our armed forces.'
