06 May 2025 , 06:36
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The UK begins secret preparations for potential war with Russia
The United Kingdom has secretly begun updating its national contingency plans in preparation for a potential direct military conflict with Russia, The Telegraph reports.
British officials have been tasked with revising emergency protocols dating back 20 years to transition the country into a wartime footing if necessary. This includes procedures for a government response to a declaration of war, securing Cabinet and the royal family in fortified bunkers, maintaining public broadcasting, and stockpiling essential resources.
At this stage, UK government insiders reportedly fear that Britain may not only be outgunned on the battlefield by Russia and its allies, but also dangerously unprepared and under-defended at home. Experts warn the country is vulnerable to attacks on key national infrastructure such as gas terminals, undersea cables, nuclear power stations, and transport hubs.
The updated classified internal defence plan outlines the UK’s strategy for the crucial first days following a foreign attack on British soil. Scenarios being considered include conventional missile strikes, nuclear warhead detonations, and cyberattacks — all threats that were considered far less pressing when the plan was last overhauled in 2005.
Developed by the Cabinet Office’s Resilience Directorate, the plan will instruct the Prime Minister and Cabinet on how to govern during wartime and when to take shelter — either in the Downing Street bunker or at secure sites outside London.
Military strategies for the operation of railways, highways, maritime vessels, the postal service, and telecommunications will also be addressed. The Cabinet has already conducted simulations in which a hostile foreign power launches missiles and cyberattacks simultaneously against the UK’s critical infrastructure.
A risk assessment released in January 2025 concluded that a successful attack would "likely result in civilian and emergency services casualties," inflict major economic losses, and disrupt essential services. Defence officials have called for Britain to develop its own version of Israel’s “Iron Dome” to defend against missile attacks.
Last month, a senior Royal Air Force official warned that if the first night of the war in Ukraine had occurred in the UK, Russian missiles would have breached Britain’s defences and destroyed key infrastructure. Officials are especially concerned about the country’s gas terminals and five operational nuclear power plants, whose failure could release radioactive material across the UK and cause "significant and long-lasting consequences for safety, health, the environment, and the economy."
Politics Editor