By Ben Kerrigan-
Britain is facing renewed warnings over the possibility of Russian hybrid attacks after a former senior Russian official claimed that Vladimir Putin’s regime has identified potential “legal targets” in the United Kingdom and views Britain as its principal enemy in the West.
Andrei Fedorov, a former Russian deputy foreign minister and government adviser, has alleged that discussions about a possible campaign of sabotage and arson against British targets are taking place at the highest levels of the Kremlin. His claims have intensified concerns over the growing confrontation between Moscow and London, particularly as Britain continues to provide military and technological support to Ukraine.
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Speaking to the Daily Mail, Fedorov claimed that Britain had become a particular focus of anger inside Russia following reports that British-made drones had been used against Russian oil infrastructure. He described the UK as “evil number one” and said there was growing pressure from Russian commentators and members of the public for Britain to be punished through strikes.
The former official also suggested that Moscow could consider targeting British facilities with direct links to Ukraine, although he said any operation would be designed to remain below the threshold that could trigger a wider military confrontation with NATO.
Among the sites reportedly being discussed is a drone manufacturing facility operated by Ukrainian defence company Ukrspecsystems in Britain. The facility is located close to RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, one of the UK’s strategically important military bases and a major centre for special operations, refuelling and intelligence-gathering activities.
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The proximity of the drone facility to such a sensitive military installation has inevitably raised questions about its vulnerability in the event of an escalation in Russian covert activity.
However, there has been no confirmation from British authorities that the site has been specifically designated as a Russian target, and Fedorov’s claims should therefore be treated as allegations rather than evidence of an imminent attack.
The warnings come at a particularly tense moment in relations between Britain and Russia. The UK has continued to strengthen its military relationship with Ukraine, despite repeated threats from Moscow over Western weapons, intelligence and technology being supplied to Kyiv.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has recently reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to Ukraine and announced that Kyiv would be given access to classified British technology to support the development of its own long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
The move was reportedly coordinated with France, which has also agreed to provide assistance involving its missile technology.Moscow reacted angrily to the announcement. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Britain and France of “playing with fire”, signalling the Kremlin’s continuing hostility towards the two European powers and their expanding military support for Ukraine.
The latest warnings for Britain underline a growing security challenge that extends beyond the battlefield in Ukraine. Rather than relying solely on conventional military threats, Russia has repeatedly been accused by Western governments of using covert operations, cyberattacks, disinformation, sabotage and other forms of so-called hybrid warfare to put pressure on European countries.
British officials have remained defiant. The Ministry of Defence has insisted that the UK will continue supporting Ukraine and dismissed the idea that Russian threats would force Britain to change course.
“Britain stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine,” an MoD spokesperson said, adding that the government remained committed to providing Kyiv with the equipment it needs to defend itself against Russia’s invasion. The spokesperson also warned that Russia should have no doubt about Britain’s resolve to oppose Russian aggression against Ukraine, the UK and its allies.
The latest allegations have also been met with caution by Western officials. Unnamed officials cited by the BBC reportedly described the Russian threats as consistent with Moscow’s established military doctrine and argued that hostile rhetoric should not necessarily be interpreted as evidence that an attack on Britain is imminent.
Instead, they suggested that the increasingly aggressive language coming from Moscow could reflect frustration over the failure of Russia’s war effort to achieve decisive objectives in Ukraine, as well as growing anger over Western support for Kyiv.
Russia’s invasion has now developed into a confrontation in which the battlefield extends well beyond Ukraine’s borders. Kyiv has continued carrying out long-range strikes against Russian military and energy infrastructure, while Moscow has maintained its campaign of attacks against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.
The possibility of British facilities becoming targets is therefore particularly sensitive. Britain has emerged as one of Ukraine’s most consistent European supporters, supplying military equipment, training and intelligence while working with allies to strengthen Kyiv’s ability to resist Russian forces.
That support has also made London a frequent target of Russian criticism. Kremlin officials have repeatedly accused Britain of becoming directly involved in the conflict because of its military assistance to Ukraine, although Britain maintains that its support is intended to help Ukraine defend itself against an illegal invasion rather than make the UK a party to a direct war with Russia.
Fedorov’s comments nevertheless highlight the increasingly blurred boundary between conventional conflict and covert confrontation. If Russian actors were to target British companies or facilities involved in Ukraine’s defence effort, an operation could potentially be carried out through sabotage, cyberattacks or arson rather than an overt military strike.
That possibility is precisely what makes hybrid warfare such a difficult challenge for Western governments. An attack can cause disruption and fear without necessarily producing the unmistakable evidence associated with a conventional military assault. It also allows an aggressor to create uncertainty over responsibility and potentially avoid crossing a threshold that could trigger a much stronger response.
The British government is consequently facing a delicate balancing act: maintaining its support for Ukraine while protecting British infrastructure and preventing the confrontation with Moscow from escalating into direct conflict.
There is currently no confirmed evidence that Russia has ordered an attack on a specific British facility. But the claims from a former senior Russian official, combined with Moscow’s increasingly hostile rhetoric over Britain’s role in supporting Ukraine, have once again placed Britain’s security posture under the spotlight.
The message from London remains unchanged: Britain intends to continue supporting Kyiv despite Russian threats. Moscow, meanwhile, has made clear that it views Britain’s expanding role in Ukraine as increasingly unacceptable.
With the war showing no sign of a definitive resolution, the danger is that the confrontation could increasingly spill into the shadows — through cyberattacks, sabotage, espionage and other forms of covert pressure.
The question for Britain is no longer simply how to support Ukraine on the battlefield. It is how to do so while preparing for the possibility that the consequences of the conflict could reach much closer to home.
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