Chilling war games show Russian missiles overwhelming UK with Britain's bases blown to bits and RAF fighter jets blitzed
Defence chiefs simulated the first night of the war to test the UK's air defences.
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Russia's missiles got the better of Britain in a recent simulation
Credit: AP
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The UK's air defences were found to be lacking in the face of Russia's firepower
Credit: Reuters
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Another simulation shows one of Russia's RS-24 missiles unloading its slew of warheads
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Air Commodore Blythe Crawford said: 'It was not a pretty picture.'
The drills suggested bases would be blown to smithereens and £100 million fighter jets could get blitzed before they could hide.
Air Cdre Crawford, who ran the RAF's Air and Space Warfare Centre, said it showed the UK 'home base' was no longer safe.
The drills used a £36 million wargaming system to test the UK's responses to 'hundreds of different types of munitions' attacking from multiple different directions.
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It exposed multiple vulnerabilities including a chronic shortage of airfields and a lack of hardened shelters for protect and hide jets on the ground.
The government sold off scores of airfields and watered-down the RAF's powers to commandeer civilian runways.
The UK has no Iron Dome-style air defence system to protect the home nations from incoming missiles.
The Armed Forces rely on RAF Typhoons, which scramble from RAF Lossiemouth, to shoot down incoming
drones
and cruise missiles.
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The only British missiles that could intercept Russian ballistic missiles are based onboard the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers.
Air Cdr Crawford warned Britain had got lax by standing at the edge of
Europe
and "feeling as though the rest of the continent stood between us and the enemy".
Russian missile blasts hotel Brit & US aid workers were staying killing 4 others
He said: "Ukraine has made us all sit up.'
He warned that for decades military planners had assumed they were 'safe to operate from the home base because most of the wars we've been fighting have been overseas'.
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He said: 'We need to reverse that thinking and assume that from here on, we're under threat in the home base now as well.'
His warning comes as the government prepares to unveil a blueprint for the
future
of UK armed forces.
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Putin has a range of 'superweapons' at his disposal
Credit: East2West
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Russia also released its own chilling simulation of UK targets - including central London - being nuked
Credit: East2West
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Last year, the Kremlin identified seven UK targets that it claimed it could hit to 'collapse British society'
It is expected to prioritise drones, technolody and missile defence.
The test took place on a simulator known as Gladiator after
Russia
launched its full scale invasion in 2022.
But the results have not been revealed until now.
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Addressing an Air and Missile Defence Conference at London-based RUSI think tank, Air Cmdr Crawford said: "We loaded night one of
Ukraine
into that synthetic environment and played it out against the UK and as you can imagine it was not a pretty picture.
'It reinforced the fact that we really need to get after this.'
The drills were stopped before bases were hit but it triggered an urgent
review
of the RAF's resilience.
Since then Typhoon jets have practised landing on ice and motorways in
Finland
– as they would have to do if their bases were under attack.
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Sweden's Grippen fighter jet and Soviet MiG and Sukhoi jets were designed to land on motorways. They deliberately built their roads to be strong enough – and straight enough – for fighter jets to land.
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Ukraine does not need simulations to realise the devastating power of Russia's missiles
Credit: Reuters
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Russian bombs continue to wreak havoc in Ukrainian towns - like in Sumy on Palm Sunday
Credit: Getty
Speaking before the war in Ukraine, former RAF boss Mike Wigston said pilots needed to practise scrambling at zero notice to prepare for a war with
Russia
.
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He said RAF Typhoons and F-35B
Lightning
jets would have to land on motorways,
race
tracks and car parks if they held proper fleet dispersal drills for the first time since the Cold War.
The plans would see squadrons scatter into 'fighting fours' to cut the risk whole fleets could be wiped out in a single strike.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston said it was his duty to prepare for a 'worst case scenario'.
Speaking in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where the US Pacific fleet was decimated by a surprise attack in 1941, he said: 'There is a worst case scenario where things we hold dear, parts of the UK, are within range of Russian missiles.'
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Video shows how a family of Russian missiles - including the RS-24, RS-26 and Oreshnik - might operate
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Poseidon is another of Putin's superweapons
Credit: Twitter
He added: 'It sounds a bit Cold Warry, but there is a pressing requirement to remember how to do it.'
RAF pilots practised dispersing to Boscombe Down, in
Wiltshire
.
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The former World War Two airfield is used to test prototype aircraft but hasn't been used by an operational squadron for more than 30 years.
A defence source said having more airfields made it easier to launch deception plans so that enemies are uncertain where the RAF jets are based.
But they warned cost-cutting drives had hamstrung the RAF's military effectiveness.
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The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
Any talks on Ukraine's security without Russia would be 'a road to nowhere', Kremlin says
RUSSIA HAS SAID it has to be part of any discussion on security guarantees for Ukraine and played down the likelihood of an imminent summit with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, tempering hopes for a quick deal to end the war. It comes after a meeting between Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump and a host of European leaders at the White House on Monday, three days after the Republican's landmark encounter with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump called Putin during the talks in Washington, later claiming that the Russian leader had agreed to meet Zelenskyy and accepted that there will be Western security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any agreement to end the war. But Russia has not confirmed this. Speaking today, Moscow's long-serving foreign minister Sergei Lavrov downplayed the meeting in Washington, describing it as a 'clumsy' attempt to change the US president's position on Ukraine. Lavrov cast doubt on an imminent meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, saying that any summit between them 'must be prepared in the most meticulous way' so it does not lead to a 'deterioration' of the situation surrounding the conflict. He also warned that 'seriously discussing security guarantees without the Russian Federation is a utopia, a road to nowhere'. Trump, who has fiercely criticised the billions in support that this predecessor Joe Biden sent to Ukraine, earlier said European nations were 'willing to put people on the ground' to secure any settlement. Advertisement He ruled out sending US troops but suggested the country might provide air support. Russia has long said it will never tolerate the presence of any Western troops in Ukraine. Meanwhile, NATO military chiefs meanwhile held a virtual summit on security guarantees for Ukraine, the latest in a flurry of global diplomacy aimed at brokering an end to the nearly three-and-a-half year conflict. 'On Ukraine, we confirmed our support. Priority continues to be a just, credible and durable peace,' the chair of the alliance's military committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, wrote on X after the meeting. Moscow signed the Budapest Memorandum in 1994, which was aimed at ensuring security for Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan in exchange for them giving up numerous nuclear weapons left from the Soviet era. But Russia violated that first by taking Crimea in 2014, and then by starting a full-scale offensive in 2022, which has killed tens of thousands of people and forced millions to flee their homes. On Tuesday, top US officer Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held talks with European military chiefs on the 'best options for a potential Ukraine peace deal'. Fresh Russian strikes In eastern Ukraine, far from the diplomatic deliberations, Russian forces claimed fresh advances on the ground and Ukrainian officials reported more deaths from Russian attacks. Russia's defence ministry said on Telegram that its troops had captured the villages of Sukhetske and Pankivka in the embattled Donetsk region. They are near a section of the front where the Russian army broke through Ukrainian defences last week, between the logistics hub of Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka. Related Reads Putin and Zelenskyy agree to meet directly in a 'neutral country' in the coming weeks What parts of Ukraine could Vladimir Putin ask for in exchange for an end to the war? Trump tells Zelenskyy and European leaders that Putin 'accepts' security guarantees for Ukraine 'Our units are engaged in heavy defensive battles against superior Russian forces,' said Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky. Last night, a drone strike on Okhtyrka in the Sumy region injured 14 people. A family with wounded children – 5 months, 4 years, and 6 years old – sought assistance after the attack. In Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, a glide bomb strike damaged five apartment buildings, and at… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 20, 2025 Six civilians were killed by Russian attacks across eastern and southern Ukraine today, local authorities said. One person died in Russia's western Bryansk region as a result of a Ukrainian drone strike, the local governor said. Russia's aerial attacks on the northeastern town of Okhtyrka in the Sumy region wounded at least 14 people, including three children, according to regional governor Oleg Grygorov. Zelenskyy said these latest strikes showed 'the need to put pressure on Moscow', including through sanctions, 'until diplomacy is fully effective'. 'Together with the United States, Europe, and all those who seek peace, we are working every day to guarantee security. We need strong security guarantees to ensure a truly reliable and lasting,' he said. With reporting from © AFP 2025 Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
3 hours ago
- The Journal
'The British state is on edge': Kneecap's second day in court sees police action and legal wrangling
Rónán Duffy Reports from Westminster Magistrates' Court IF MO CHARA'S last appearance before a British court was marked by a party-like atmosphere today's was a more serious affair, if still just as loud. This vibe shift was clear both inside and outside the courtroom with Met Police confirming that a man was arrested outside on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action. Protests outside ahead of Mo Chara's court appearance. Rónán Duffy / The Journal Rónán Duffy / The Journal / The Journal The newly proscribed organisation has become a lightning rod for the debate around pro-Palestine activism in the UK, with hundreds arrested since it became listed as a terror organisation on 5 July, putting it on a par with organisations like Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Police had signalled that a tougher approach was being used for this court appearance last night when they said that Public Order Act conditions were being put in place. In reality that meant that protesters were confined to a particular section of the thoroughfare, and operationally it meant that there were many more police present. Numerous Kneecap balaclavas were on display among the protesters. Rónán Duffy / The Journal Rónán Duffy / The Journal / The Journal It didn't stop hundreds turning out to chant 'Free Mo Chara', blare music, hold placards and hand out flyers for the next protest. Unlike the last time though, police were quicker to intervene to direct people where to go and the entire event wound down more quickly once Mo Chara had finished in court. Mo Chara spoke when he left the court building, as did bandmate Móglaí Bap, but their speeches were shorter and contained none of the bombast heard in June about Glastonbury gigs to come. Mo Chara speaks to the crowd outside Westminster Magistrates' Court. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Instead there was almost a sense of frustration that the same slogans were being repeated when the situation in Gaza has become so much worse. 'Obviously it's great to see the support out here. Obviously we know that the story is more than just about me, more than about Kneecap,' Mo Chara told the crowd. This is a story about Palestine and us as a distraction from the real story. We know unfortunately this story will end up in the media today while Israel commits genocide at the same time. 'So everybody continue to speak about Palestine, Free Palestine, thank you for coming and tiocfaidh ár lá.' Mo Chara, real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, was speaking after a three-hour court hearing that was heavy with legal argument that will determine if he has to face a full trial for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah. There was no ruling today but Judge Paul Goldspring has set 26 September as the date on which he'll deliver his ruling on that question. Brenda Campbell KC, for Ó hAnnaidh, and prosecutor Michael Bisgrove both made their cases citing case law about when exactly a charge against a person is legally recognised for the purposes of determining if it is inside or outside the time limit. The dense legalese caused some in the packed public gallery to leave before it was finished but Ó hAnnaidh was engaged throughout and was frequently seen looking through documentation with the Irish language interpreter he was provided with. The other members of Kneecap and their manager Daniel Lambert were also seated in court. Unlike the previous occasion when they giggled in the public gallery about whether Kneecap's DJ Provaí could be an interpreter, there were no light-hearted moments here. Advertisement If there was any such merriment in advance, it was quickly dampened by the legal arguments anyway. Time limit The date of the alleged offence is 21 November 2024 and the six-month limit for prosecuting therefore runs until 21 May 2025. Campbell told the court the Attorney General had not given permission for the case to be brought against the defendant when police informed him he was to face a terror charge on May 21. She said consent was given the following day, but that meant the charge falls outside of the six-month time frame in which criminal charges against a defendant can be brought. Ó hAnnaidh was not arrested before being charged and was instead charged by way of a postal requisition. This method means that an individual is informed of a charge they face by post and Campbell argued that the timing of the requisition has a bearing on when proceedings are instituted. Police closed off Marylebone Road for a period today due to the scale of the protest. Rónán Duffy / TheJournal Rónán Duffy / TheJournal / TheJournal Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove argued in court that the charge was issued by police on the day of the deadline, 21 May. He said permission was not required until the defendant's first court appearance and that permission did not need to be sought in order to bring a criminal charge. The judge asked various questions of both lawyers during their submissions but more questions were asked of Campbell. Ending today's proceedings, the judge noted that everyone was keen on a 'speedy resolution' to the legal questions but he asked that people grant him some time to make a decision. He therefore set 26 September as the date on which he would issue a ruling, stressing in case anyone was confused that this was his decision on the time-limit question alone and not on the merits of the case. Cat handing out UK communist newspaper Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! The Journal The Journal Back outside, the protesters waited for Mo Chara's appearance. Among them were some of the same faces present back in June. London student Sarah Cotte ,who is originally from France, is herself facing two charges similar to Mo Chara for allegedly of expressing support for Hamas in a speech at a London university. Speaking on stage to the crowd she said that terror legislation in the UK is primarily used against immigrant communities. Speaking afterwards to The Journal , Cotte said that terror label is so politically charged that it restricts debate. 'The reality is that it's people's rights of free speech, people's right to protest which are being restricted, which are being infringed upon,' she said. And if we can't get past the terrorism label, then I'm not sure what else, you know, there is for us to do. The reality is that that label is so politically charged and so racially charged as well. 'Terrorism legislation has always been used, since its first inception, to terrorise communities fighting back against British imperialism, whether that be the Irish, whether that be immigrant communities, whether that be people standing up for Palestinian liberation. So it's never been about keeping us safe. It's always been about keeping those in power safe.' Cotte's case is back in court for a hearing in the Old Bailey on 24 October and she urged supporters to join a protest on that date. Related Reads Police corral hundreds of protesters as Kneecap's Mo Chara returns to court to face UK terror charge Opinion: The British political class has it in for Kneecap - they just don't get it Kneecap: What's the terror charge 'Mo Chara' is facing, what's the defence and the sentence? Others who made a return trip to London today to support Mo Chara included Northern Ireland-based Irish-language coalition An Dream Dearg. Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin of the group pointed to the 'hypocrisy' of Mo Chara facing charges as people openly support proscribed organisations in Northern Ireland. 'There's stark hypocrisy in terms of how that's being conducted, because we're from a part of this jurisdiction, if you like, within the UK, where people regularly wear t-shirts, wave flags, carry the emblems or prescribed organisations, many times this is facilitated by this by the State in the form of marches, through certain areas,' he told The Journal . Mac Giolla Bhéin also referred to the arrest that took place today of the protester for allegedly supporting Palestine Action. 'It's authoritarianism and it's important for everyone, whether or not you agree with the stance on Palestine Action, that anyone who believes in living in a free and democratic society, must challenge it and to call it out.' Another protester who commented on the increased police presence was Cat from Communist newspaper Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!. 'I think the clear popularity of what Kneecap is saying and linking really strongly to the historic struggle in Ireland against British colonisation and the occupation in Palestine has put the British state on edge,' she said. 'They're able to speak the truth very clearly about this continued pattern of Britain supporting occupation, repression and genocide. And I think it puts a British state on edge and I expect that's why there are more police now. Cat added that she felt there is now a 'groundswell of support against British collusion with genocide' and what she said is the use of the Terrorism Act against non-violent organisations. Connolly's book store in Dublin Gráinne Ferris and Rache Gerrard at the protest in Dublin today, Andrew Walsh / TheJournal Andrew Walsh / TheJournal / TheJournal In Dublin, around 200 people also gathered at Connolly Books in Temple Bar this afternoon for a 'Solidarity Seisiún' for Mo Chara, with musicians including Irish-Palestinian singer Róisín El Cherif performing. Outside, protesters voiced their support for Mo Chara in his ongoing court case. Protestors Gráinne Ferris and Rachel Gerrard spoke highly of Kneecap, as well as other Irish acts that have been vocally supportive of Palestine. 'At the moment, [Mo Chara] is speaking loud and clear, supporting Palestine, as well as the likes of Hozier and Christie Moore,' Ferris said. It's vital, because they have huge international fan bases, and hopefully they'll continue to do so in the face of a genocide. Outside the bookshop, Scotland native Angela Doyle handed out mock postcards in support of Palestine Action. She likened Ó hAnnaidh's case to the ongoing crackdown on UK protests in support of Palestine Action . 'We know that laws like this spread – we just wanted to do something small to make a difference,' Doyle said. - With reporting by Andrew Walsh in Dublin Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Fake name Vladimir Putin gave to hidden sons with gymnast revealed' as tyrant's boys seen in footage for first time
VLADIMIR Putin is said to have given fake names to his alleged secret children with his hidden Olympic gymnast lover, according to an investigation. New footage appears to show Putin's alleged youngest sons for the first time. 6 Vladimir Spiridonov, now six, Vladimir Putin's son with partner Alina Kabaeva Credit: East2West 6 Vladimir Spiridonov, now six, Vladimir Putin's son with partner Alina Kabaeva Credit: East2West 6 Ivan Spiridonov, now ten, second from the right, Vladimir Putin's son with partner Alina Kabaeva Credit: East2West 6 Since 2008, Putin and his presumed young mistress have been romantically linked Credit: East2West Putin hides his two youngest children under a fake surname, according to a new book by two Russian investigative journalists. The dictator, 72, is said to have a secret family with Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, 42, with sons aged ten and six. However, their alleged 15-year relationship has never been publicly acknowledged - and the Russian state media has banned any mention of links between the two. The book, called The Tsar in Person: How Vladimir Putin Fooled Us All, reveals that the family name given to the boys by ex-spy Putin is Spiridonov. Putin's alleged secret sons sons Ivan, ten, and Vladimir junior, six - both keen young gymnasts - are known by this surname rather than their real name. A clip believed to be the first footage of Putin's younger son appears to show him at his elite gymnastics academy, proudly showing off new somersault moves. The video also reportedly shows 10-year-old Evan being interviewed and speaking about 'just cool' new gymnastics moves he learned with Olympic coach Alexei Nemov. Russian investigative journalists Roman Badanin and Mikhail Rubin claim in their book that both the boys live with Kabaeva on the estate of Putin's secret palace at Valdai, between Moscow and St Petersburg. The place is known to be a forested fortress guarded by a dozen or more Pantsir air defence systems. Neither the children nor the palace has ever been officially declared by Putin to ordinary Russians. Intelligence chief says Putin 'getting more sickly by the day' as tyrant wains in power A passage from the book reads: "Information about the gymnast and her children is erased from state databases, the boys were given a cover surname — Spiridonov, and all the territory around the Valdai dwelling of the tsar's family is strictly guarded. 'However sometimes Ivan and Vladimir all the same have appeared in public, thanks to which their photographs are at our disposal.' Spiridonov appears to be a family name linked to the first name of Putin's colourful paternal grandfather, Spiridon Putin, who lived from 1879 to 1965. He was the personal chef for Vladimir Lenin, founder of the Soviet Union, before preparing meals for tyrant Josef Stalin in the Kremlin. Co-author Badanin defended the decision to disclose the names and photographs of the Putin children 'because he is the president of the country'. Inside mysterious & glam life of Putin's gymnast lover By Iona Cleave and Will Stewart RUSASIA'S so-called "First Mistress", Alina Kabaeva, 40, lives a continuous life of glamour and mystery but has allegedly spent recent months holed up inside Putin's secret forest palace. Since 2008, the brunette bombshell has been the target of sustained speculation that she is Putin's secret lover and the mother of his youngest kids. The gymnast-turned-politician is now rumoured to be missing in the wake of last month's bizarre reports Putin had croaked. Public appearances by the despot's young mistress halted in the last week of October - the same day the rumours broke that Putin had suffered a heart attack. The woman that has never shied from the spotlight appears to have gone to ground. Alina, who is 31 years younger than Putin, shot to fame as "Russia's most flexible woman" after picking up hoards of international medals for gymnastics in her teens. She went on to win Gold at the 2004 Athens Games and Bronze at the 2000 in Sydney. The now 40-year-old is one of most decorated gymnasts in history, with 2 Olympic medals, 14 World Championship medals, and 21 European Championship medals. She would later lose six of her World Championship medals for doping. Her celebrity status was fully secured after she posed naked for a men's magazine in 2004. In heavy makeup and partially draped in fur, the nude sporting star smiled provocatively at the camera. Photographer Mikhail Korolov commented: 'I didn't even need to persuade her. She behaved very naturally. She's full of sex.' After retiring from gymnastics, Alina threw herself into a quickly-developed career in politics. She became a member of the Russian Parliament between 2007 and 2014, representing the United Russia party and voting for various controversial anti-LGBT laws. It was quite the career move for a woman who had dabbled in modelling and singing. The Olympic legend was later appointed chair of Moscow's most important pro-Kremlin TV and newspaper empire, National Media Group — despite having no experience. Throughout the years, it appears that Putin's presumed lover has somewhat relished her role as "the uncrowned queen of Russia" - or at least enjoyed the gossip behind it. Speaking on a YouTube show Popular Politics, he said: 'In any other situation, if he were a private individual, if he were a lower-level official, we probably wouldn't have done it. 'But it's simple - his life should be in plain sight. He signed up for it in 1999 once he accepted power.' Co-author Mikhail said: 'It's part of a politician's job to be public and show his family. 'Why are children a secret then? What is shameful about children…?' Putin's three daughters, who are no more a secret, also use family names which mask their identities. Maria, 40, is known by the name Vorontsova, and Katerina, 38, uses Tikhonova. Putin's love child, Luiza, 22, uses the surname Rosova, but is also known as Elizaveta Krivonogikh, her mother Svetlana's family name. Luiza also has a passport under the name Rudnova, the family name of a now-dead close Putin friend. 6 A young woman named Elizaveta Krivonogikh has reportedly been identified as Vladimir Putin's third daughter Credit: East2West
