Latest news with #RussianAggression
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Russia recruiting Ukrainians for illegal activities in Europe, Ukrainian intel warns
Russian intelligence services are actively attempting to recruit Ukrainian nationals for illegal operations across the European Union, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said on June 2. In a statement, the agency warned that Kremlin-linked operatives are offering money to vulnerable Ukrainians, particularly those from Russian-occupied territories, to conduct surveillance of critical infrastructure and carry out other tasks for the benefit of the Russian state. "The recruitment of Ukrainians for hostile operations in Europe is yet another tool of hybrid aggression that the Russian Federation is waging against Ukraine and the entire European community," the agency said. The intelligence agency urged Ukrainian citizens abroad to immediately report any contact with suspicious individuals to local law enforcement or Ukrainian diplomatic missions. The warning comes amid a growing number of suspected Russian-directed sabotage and arson plots across Europe involving Ukrainian nationals. British security officials are currently investigating possible Russian involvement in a series of arson attacks targeting properties linked to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Financial Times reported on May 23. The incidents include fires at Starmer's family home, a vehicle, and a former residence in London earlier this month. Three men — Ukrainian nationals Roman Lavrynovych and Petro Pochynok, and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc — have been charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life. Prosecutors allege they acted in coordination with unknown individuals, and U.K. authorities are examining whether Russian agents may have recruited them. German authorities have also accused three Ukrainian nationals of being involved in a Russian-orchestrated parcel bomb plot, according to Der Spiegel. The suspects were arrested in May during coordinated raids in Germany and Switzerland. In a separate case on May 12, Poland charged two Ukrainians in connection with suspected Russian-backed arson attacks at an IKEA store in Vilnius and a shopping mall in Warsaw in 2024. Additionally, Russian intelligence is believed to be behind a July 2024 fire at a DHL airport logistics hub in Leipzig, Germany. Investigators said a flammable package sent from Lithuania was marked for delivery to a fake address in Birmingham, U.K. Western officials have repeatedly accused Moscow of using covert sabotage, cyberattacks, and disinformation as part of its broader campaign to destabilize European nations that support Ukraine during the Russian large-scale war. The Ukrainian intelligence agency emphasized that such operations rely on exploiting desperate individuals and weaponizing them against host countries. It called on European governments to remain vigilant and closely coordinate with Ukrainian security services. Read also: As Trump fails to sanction Moscow, few expect breakthrough during upcoming Russia-Ukraine talks We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Defence review to say UK must be ready to fight a war in Europe or Atlantic
Britain needs to be ready to fight a war in Europe or the Atlantic, a strategic defence review will conclude, though it is not expected to promise immediate increases in the size of the armed forces to deal with the threat. The 130-page document will call for a move to 'war-fighting readiness' to deter Russian aggression in Europe and increases in stockpiles of arms and support equipment, some of which may only last days in a crisis. Keir Starmer, the prime minister, will launch the review on Monday, saying the exercise 'will ensure the UK rises to the challenge and our armed forces have the equipment they need' in what ministers say is an increasingly unstable world. But it is not expected to contain any additional spending commitments and the defence secretary, John Healey, acknowledged on Sunday that any plans to increase the size of the British army, at its smallest for 300 years, will have to wait until after the election. Speaking to the BBC, Healey said there had been '15 years of a recruitment and retention crisis in our armed forces' as he acknowledged that the size of the army had fallen to a low 70,860 – below the government's current target of 73,000. The minister conceded that Labour had so far failed to turn the situation around, despite talk that Britain is prepared to participate in a peacekeeping deployment in Ukraine. 'We've still got more people leaving than joining,' he said. 'The first job is to reverse that trend, and then I want to see in the next parliament our ability to start to increase the number [of soldiers],' Healey continued, apparently deferring any increase until after an election due in 2029. There had been speculation that Healey had been seeking to secure a commitment to increase the target size of the army to 76,000, though defence sources said that could have cost up to £2.5bn in pay, accommodation and equipment. Though Russia is heavily embroiled in the war in Ukraine, experts believe that if the Kremlin agreed to a ceasefire, it could allow time for a country with an army of more than 600,000 and a militarised economy to threaten other parts of Nato's eastern flank. The three-strong review team, led by Lord Robertson, a former Nato secretary general, has made 62 recommendations, in response to what the team has concluded is 'a new era of threat' from aggressive states such as Russia and drones, artificial intelligence and other new technologies. On Sunday, Ukraine said that it had attacked 40 Russian bombers at airfields deep inside Russia, using remotely piloted one-way attack drones that were hidden in trucks inside Russia until ready to use. Operation Spider's Web was in preparation for 18 months, with relatively cheap drones targeting strategic Russian aviation. It is also expected to conclude: The UK will commit to building 12 nuclear-powered attack submarines at Barrow in Cumbria and Raynesway, Derby, as part of the three-country Aukus programme with the US and Australia. The first submarines will launch in the late 2030s, replacing seven Astute-class submarines, tasked to operate around the world. A total of £15bn will be invested in modernising the production of nuclear weapons at Aldermaston in Berkshire, supporting more than 9,000 jobs as part of a programme to supply bombs for the Dreadnought submarines that will replace the ageing Vanguard boats that carry the Trident deterrent. That Russia poses an 'immediate and pressing' danger posed by Russia while China is a 'sophisticated and persistent challenge' to British interests. Iran and North Korea will be described as 'regional disruptors' and potentially hostile to the UK, with each of the four showing growing signs of being willing to work together. A new volunteer-led Home Guard be created to help protect airports, communications nodes and other parts of Britain's critical national infrastructure from drone and other surprise attacks, freeing up the time of soldiers and specialist police who guard such locations at present. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Ministers are also considering whether to restore an air-launched nuclear deterrent by buying F-35A aircraft which have been certified to carry the US B61-12 gravity bomb, which has a maximum explosive yield of 50 kilotons, more than three times the size of the 15kT bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. A report in the Sunday Times said the UK was considering buying the F-35A, though any arrangement to deploy B61 nuclear bombs in addition would probably be similar to existing situations in the Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Turkey, where nuclear weapons belonging to the US are stored in bunkers in those countries. Britain is the only big nuclear power that has only one method of delivering a nuclear weapon, from a submarine at sea. But engaging in 'nuclear sharing' with the US would be complex, and would require sensitive negotiations with the Trump administration if it were the path chosen. In Europe, B61 bombs remain US property until there is a deemed to be war. At that point, because non-proliferation rules are then deemed not to apply, 'the host country puts the weapons on their planes and sets off with them,' according to Dave Cullen, a nuclear expert at the Basic thinktank. Healey declined to comment on air-launched nuclear weapons on Sunday, and no announcement is expected on the issue shortly. The minister instead reiterated the value of Trident. 'For over 70 years, our UK nuclear deterrent has been the ultimate guarantee of security in this country. It's what Putin fears most,' he told the BBC. The defence review is not expected to announce any immediate increase in defence budgets, beyond a commitment to lift spending by about £5bn to 2.5% of GDP in 2027 and to 3% in the next parliament. But Starmer and other Nato leaders are expected to discuss and agree fresh spending targets at a summit in The Hague later this month, of about 5% of GDP, of which 3.5% will be on military spending and the rest on cyberdefence and other infrastructure.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Britain faces attacks from Russia ‘daily', minister warns ahead of Starmer's defence review
John Healey said Russia was "attacking the UK daily" in cyberspace as part of 90,000 assaults on Britain's defence systems linked to different states. Asked if he expected a real-world attack, he added: "We have to be prepared. Nato has to be prepared. We see Putin in Ukraine trying to redraw international boundaries by force... it's part of the growing Russian aggression." That was why the UK and Nato are "stepping up our ability to deter as well as to defend in the future," he added, saying 'we prepare for war in order to secure the peace.' He also appeared to confirm reports Britain wants to purchase fighter jets capable of firing tactical nuclear weapons, in a recognition the world has entered a more dangerous era, saying he would not 'get into discussions that need to remain private". But he admitted that plans to increase the size of the army would not happen until after 2029 at the earliest, as ministers scramble to halt the decline in numbers seen in recent years. Overnight, both Mr Healey and Sir Keir warned the UK must be war-ready. The PM described the review, which is set to be unveiled on Monday, as a 'radical blueprint' that would lead to investments in cyber defences and drone technology. 'The threats we face are no secret. War in Europe. New nuclear risk,' he wrote in the Sun on Sunday. 'The Kremlin is working hand in hand with its cronies in Iran and North Korea… The Royal Navy has chased off Russian spy ships loitering in our waters. The RAF has scrambled to intercept Russian planes that menace our skies.' He pledged to make the UK armed forces a 'formidable, integrated fighting machine', ending the 'disgraceful hollowing out' which he said had happened under 14 years of Conservative rule. 'We will invest in a fighting force that is more integrated, more ready, more lethal than ever — putting Britain back where it belongs as a leader in defence and a leader in Nato', he said. Mr Healey said it was time for the UK to 'move to warfighting readiness to deter our adversaries' and that the measures unveiled in the review would be a 'message to Moscow'. He has already announced plans to spend £1.5 billion on at least six new munitions factories, to deliver 7,000 UK-built weapons designed to deter 'adversaries like Russia'. His warning over cyber attacks was backed by the former cabinet secretary Simon Case, who said Britons should be concerned. 'I think we should,' he said, 'this battle has been going on in cyberspace for a very long time … I'm afraid there is real reason for concern.' Mr Healey also insisted that current spending plans would be enough to deliver the "vision" of transforming the armed forces to be set out in the strategic defence review (SDR). Plans to reach 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027 and 3 per cent before 2034 were "enough to deliver the SDR's vision that sets out tomorrow, and that vision is a transformation of Britain's armed forces." He reiterated that there was "no doubt" the government would reach 3 per cent in the next parliament. The strategic defence review is a "message to Moscow", he added. "This is a message to Moscow as well. This is Britain standing behind, making our armed forces stronger but making our industrial base stronger, and this is part of our readiness to fight, if required," he told the BBC's Sunday Morning With Laura Kuenssberg programme. Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick welcomed the plans to increase defence spending but said he was "sceptical" it would happen as he called on Labour to meet the 3 per cent target before the next general election in 2029. "We think that 2034 is a long time to wait given the gravity of the situation," he told the Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News. He added: "Since the general election, all I can see are broken promises from (the chancellor) Rachel Reeves.' The review to be published on Monday is expected to warn of an "immediate and pressing" threat by Russia and draw heavily on the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. It is thought cyber experts will also be sent to the front line alongside regular forces in a move designed to modernise the British military. Ministers have already announced they are to spend an additional £1.5 billion fixing up military houses amid claims years of neglect has led to troops quitting.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vladimir Putin Is Attacking The UK Every Day, Defence Secretary Warns
Vladimir Putin is attacking the UK on a daily basis, a senior cabinet minister has warned. Defence secretary John Healey said Britain is now operating in 'a world of growing Russian aggression' and must respond accordingly. His comments came as the government prepares to publish the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which will set out plans to boost military spending in the years ahead. He said it would 'send a message to Moscow' that the UK has the capability to defend itself from Putin. On BBC1 this morning, Healey was asked by Laura Kuenssberg: 'Do you actually expect that Russia is going to attack the UK?' The defence secretary replied: 'Russia is attacking the UK daily as part of 90,000 attacks that we get that are linked to different states on our defence system in cyberspace. 'It's one of the reasons that we're acting already by putting an extra billion into creating a new cyber command and to link our Armed Forces with the digital connections that make them more effective in the future. 'We're in a word that is changing now and we've got to respond. It is a world of growing Russian aggression, it's those daily cyber attacks, new nuclear risks and increasing threats in other parts of the world as well. 'The SDR we publish tomorrow will set out a vision for not only how our forces must respond, but how we protect the British people as well.' "Russia is attacking the UK daily"Defence Secretary John Healey says the UK faces thousands of cybersecurity attacks and that there is "growing Russian aggression" in today's world#BBCLauraKhttps:// — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) June 1, 2025 The government will build at least six new munitions factories and thousands more long-range weapons as part of the defence review. Healey said: 'The hard-fought lessons from Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine show a military is only as strong as the industry that stands behind them. 'We are strengthening the UK's industrial base to better deter our adversaries and make the UK secure at home and strong abroad.' He told the BBC: 'This is a message to Moscow as well. This is Britain standing behind making our Armed Forces stronger but making our industrial base stronger, and this is part of our readiness to fight if required, but the strength in which to deter those fights in the future.' 'A Message To Moscow': Labour Says Defence Spending Boost Will Deter Vladimir Putin UK, US And Allies Set To Lift Range Restrictions On Weapons Given To Ukraine After Trump's Putin Attack Putin Is Putting People Older Than The Average Russian Life Expectancy In Positions Of Power, UK Says
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia kills Kherson resident in nighttime attack
A 66-year-old man has been killed in a nighttime Russian attack on the city of Kherson. Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote: "Another resident of Kherson has been killed due to Russian aggression." Details: Prokudin noted that the Russians had attacked the Dniprovskyi district of the city overnight. A 66-year-old man suffered fatal injuries in the strike. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
