Ministers must be honest about Russian threat, former Foreign Office head says

Ministers need to be honest with the British public about the immediate threat posed by Russia, former national security adviser Peter Ricketts has said, warning that the danger could soon lead to lives being lost. The Guardian

Ricketts served as the top civil servant in the Foreign Office and advised David Cameron when Cameron was prime minister. The national security adviser role centres on advising the prime minister on security threats. He set out his current assessment of the Russian threat in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He said Russian hybrid attacks are getting more reckless and more dangerous. He said one day people are going to end up being killed.

He warned that banking systems, energy supplies or water supplies could be targeted by Kremlin cyber-assaults. Banking, energy and water underpin payments and other parts of everyday life, so disruption there is felt widely. Ministers in Britain are senior government figures who set policy for departments and address the public on major risks.

He called for further investment in resilience for key sectors facing hybrid attacks. Resilience here refers in plain terms to the ability of essential systems to keep operating when attacked or disrupted.

MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum said MI5 was devoting more resources to combating threats from hostile states than during the Cold War. He described Russia as the number one aggressor.

Chief of the General Staff Gen Sir Roly Walker spoke to 700 troops at Catterick garrison. He told them that politicians would soon need a frank conversation about sacrifices needed to prioritise defence and security.