Russia on mission to cause mayhem in UK, warns MI5

Russia’s intelligence agency has been on a mission to generate “sustained mayhem on British and European streets,” according to the head of MI5, Ken McCallum.

In his annual update on security threats faced by the UK, McCallum said GRU agents had engaged in “arson, sabotage, and more dangerous actions conducted with increasing recklessness” after the UK backed Ukraine in its war with Russia.

McCallum also revealed that MI5 had responded to 20 plots backed by Iran since 2022, although the agency’s primary focus remains on Islamist extremism, followed by extreme right-wing terrorism.

The complex mix of terror-related threats and state-sponsored plots means MI5 faces a significant challenge, he warned.

In his wide-ranging speech, McCallum highlighted several key points:

• Young people are increasingly being drawn into online extremism, with 13% of those investigated for terrorism under 18 years old.
• Since 2017, 43 late-stage plots involving firearms and explosives aimed at committing “mass murder” in the UK have been foiled.
• MI5’s state-threat investigations have increased by 48%.
• Counter-terrorism efforts are split between “75% Islamist extremism and 25% extreme right-wing terrorism.”

McCallum also stated that MI5 is now dealing with “a dizzying range of beliefs and ideologies.”

Reflecting on his career, McCallum said, “The first 20 years of my career here were crammed full of terrorist threats. We now face those alongside state-backed assassination and sabotage plots, against the backdrop of a major European land war.”

He warned that the UK’s prominent role in supporting Ukraine makes it a target in “the fevered imagination of Putin’s regime,” meaning further acts of aggression on UK soil are likely.

Currently, the UK’s terror threat level is substantial, meaning an attack is likely.

More than 750 Russian diplomats have been expelled from Europe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, most of them spies, McCallum said. This has impacted the operational capabilities of Russian intelligence services, with diplomatic visas being denied to suspected spies. In response, Russian state actors have turned to proxies such as private intelligence operatives and criminals to carry out their operations, which has lowered the professionalism and made them easier to disrupt.

While McCallum has previously spoken about threats from Russia and Iran, his recent comments marked the first time he has accused Moscow so explicitly. On Iran, he stated that the 20 plots MI5 had foiled since 2022 represented “potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents.”

Following the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini in Iranian police custody, MI5 has observed “plot after plot” from Iran, occurring “at an unprecedented pace and scale.” The number of Iranian plots targeting the UK has doubled, signaling that Iranian state activity is undeterred by the risk of exposure.

McCallum added that as the war in the Middle East continues, MI5 would remain vigilant against the risk of escalating Iranian state aggression in the UK.

Both Russia and Iran, McCallum emphasized, have increasingly relied on criminal networks to carry out their actions, as it has become difficult for their accredited diplomats to engage in such activities.

Turning to China, McCallum highlighted the economic relationship between China and the UK as a factor contributing to security. However, he also noted that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is running a programme to steal data and information, with “20,000 obfuscated approaches to individuals by China” being observed.

Increasing Threat of Online Extremism

McCallum also warned of the growing number of young people being drawn into online extremism. About 13% of those investigated for terrorism involvement were under 18 years old, marking a threefold increase over the last three years. He said MI5 was witnessing “far too many cases” where young people are being indoctrinated online, especially in extreme right-wing terrorism, which often targets the youth with propaganda that demonstrates a deep understanding of online culture.

He emphasized that the internet is the “biggest factor” driving this trend, describing how young people can easily access extremist material from their bedrooms. Many of the threats come from “lone individuals indoctrinated online.”

“In dark corners of the internet, talk is cheap. Sorting the real plotters from armchair extremists is an exacting task,” McCallum said. “Anonymous online connections are often inconsequential, but a minority lead to deadly, real-world actions.”

Home Office figures show that, of 242 people detained on suspicion of terror offences in the year to June, 17% (40) were under the age of 18.

Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged McCallum’s “sober findings” but reassured the public that “our security services are world-class and will do everything necessary to keep us safe.”

Credit: BBC