UK must prepare for possible Russian attack, Armed Forces chief warns

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom (UK),  said on Sunday that Britain must prepare for the possibility of a Russian attack.

He said this in a speech at the Royal United Services Institute in Westminster, London, saying Russia’s military grows stronger and more experienced after nearly four years of war in Ukraine.

Speaking about the security outlook, Knighton said Russia’s forces are now battle-hardened after nearly four years of full-scale war, adding that the UK must be honest with the public about what readiness could mean.

He mentioned that the UK’s armed forces would remain the first line of defence alongside NATO allies, but the whole of society must also play a part in rebuilding resilience.

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According to Sky News, he also mentioned that it is essential to be transparent with “families and households” across the country about preparing for “an array of real, physical threats.”

Air Chief Marshal Knighton said he agreed with comments made last month by France’s defence chief, General Fabien Mandon, who warned that France must be ready for the possibility of losing its children in a future conflict with Russia.

“The situation is more dangerous than I have known during my career, and the price of peace is rising,” the British defence chief said.

“Our response needs to go beyond simply strengthening our armed forces. It needs a whole of nation response that builds our defence industrial capacity, grows the skills we need, harnesses the power of the institutions we will need in wartime and ensures and increases the resilience of society and the infrastructure that supports it.”

He continued: “Sons and daughters. Colleagues. Veterans. …will all have a role to play. To build. To serve. And if necessary, to fight. And more families will know what sacrifice for our nation means.”

He noted that many people in the UK no longer have direct experience of the armed forces, following decades of relative peace since the end of the Cold War. He pointed out that it has been 65 years since the last national service call-ups and 80 years since the end of the Second World War.

While defence analysts assess the likelihood of a direct Russian attack on the UK as low, he said the risk cannot be dismissed.

He said: “My point is that none of us can say with any certainty what the absolute risk might be. And even though simple binary statements might be easy for people to engage with, they risk instilling panic or complacency.

“What really matters is the trend. Are the chances of conflict growing?

“And here, I think the evidence is clear that the trend, from Russia in particular, is worsening, and that is the key argument for action.”

Despite being tied down by the war in Ukraine, he said Russia’s military capability continues to grow. He pointed to long-term defence reforms and investment that have expanded the size of its forces and sharply increased military spending.

By contrast, the UK army, according to Sky News, has just over 70,000 soldiers, with government plans to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027.

(Sky News)