P.A.The Russian intelligence agency is on a mission to cause “sustained disturbances on the streets of Britain and Europe”, the head of MI5 has said.
Ken McCullum published his annual update on the security threats facing the UK, saying GRU operatives had committed “arson, sabotage and He said he had acted in a reckless and dangerous manner.
He added that MI5 has also responded to 20 Iranian-backed plots since 2022, but the majority of its operations remain primarily concerned with Islamic extremism and subsequent far-right terrorism.
He warned that the complex mix of terror-related and state threats meant MI5 had “a hell of a job on its hands”.
In a wide-ranging speech, he said:
Young people are increasingly being drawn into online extremism, with 13% of young people investigated for involvement in terrorism being under the age of 18. Since 2017, Britain has recorded the highest number of ‘mass murders’ involving firearms and explosives. A total of 43 late-stage plans were blocked.・MI5 threat investigations increased by 48% Counter-terrorism efforts remain divided between “Islamic extremists 75% and far-right terrorism 25%”
Speaking at a briefing at MI5’s Counter Terrorism Operations Center in London, he said there was a “dizzying range of beliefs and ideologies” that MI5 had to deal with.
“The first 20 years of my career here were filled with terrorist threats.
“We are now facing these plots alongside state-sponsored assassination and sabotage plots against the backdrop of a major ground war in Europe.”
Britain’s “leading role” in supporting Ukraine means “we loom large in the fevered imagination of the Putin regime” and further acts of aggression against mainland Britain should be expected, he said. warned.
The current terrorist threat level in the UK is significant, meaning that attacks are likely.
More than 750 Russian diplomats have been expelled from Europe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the “vast majority” of whom were spies, McCallum said.
This affected the capabilities of Russian intelligence services, he explained, adding that diplomatic visas were being refused to people deemed by Britain and its allies to be Russian spies.
Russian state actors relied on agents such as private intelligence agents and criminals to do their “dirty work,” which affected the professionalism of their operations and made sabotage easier.
McCollum has spoken publicly about the threats posed by both Russia and Iran, but he has never condemned Russia in such harsh terms.
In an earlier speech, he mentioned 10 conspiracies against Iranians in Britain. That number has now doubled, suggesting that Iranian state activities are not hampered by the threat of exposure.
He said that since the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in Iranian police custody in 2022 after being arrested on suspicion of breaking rules requiring women to wear headscarves, “there has been a spate of conspiracies here in the UK”. I’ve seen it happen,” he said. At an unprecedented pace and scale. ”
He added that as the war in the Middle East continues, MI5 will “pay the utmost attention to the risk of increasing or escalating aggression by the Iranian state in the UK”.
In both the cases of Russia and Iran, MI5 bosses say they are increasingly turning their attention to underworld criminal organizations because it is difficult or nearly impossible for accredited diplomats to carry out such actions. He emphasized that he is aiming for
Regarding China, he said its economic relationship with the UK underpins its security.
However, he later told reporters that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had programs to steal data and information and that he had “witnessed 20,000 obfuscated approaches by China against individuals.”
“A keen understanding of online culture”
Mr McCallum warned that a growing number of young people were being drawn into online extremism.
Approximately 13% of those investigated for involvement in terrorism are under the age of 18, a figure that has tripled over the past three years.
Security officials were seeing “too many instances of very young people being drawn into harmful online extremism”.
“Far-right terrorism skews particularly young, and is driven by propaganda that shows a keen understanding of online culture,” he said.
In response to questions from reporters, he reiterated his concerns about the role of the internet as the “biggest factor” driving this trend, and explained how easily young people can access content from their bedrooms.
He said most of the threats came from “lonely individuals who were indoctrinated online.”
“In the dark corners of the internet, talk is cheap. Sorting out the real conspirators from the armchair extremists is a painstaking task,” he said.
“Anonymous online connections are often insignificant, but a small number can lead to deadly acts in the real world.”
Statistics released by the Home Office last month showed that of the 242 people detained on suspicion of terrorist offenses in the year to June, 17% (40 people) were under the age of 17.
Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged the “sobering findings” outlined by Mr McCullum, but said the public should be reassured that “our security services are world-class and will do whatever it takes to keep us safe. He said people should feel safe.
