MI6 Chief Warns: Russia Poses "Acute Threat" Through Global Hybrid Warfare; UK Defense Calls for National Resilience

New MI6 Chief Warns of "Acute Threat" Posed by Russia's Hybrid Warfare

The new head of MI6, Blaise Metreweli, is scheduled to give her inaugural public speech, in which she will call attention to the "acute threat posed by an aggressive, expansionist, and revisionist Russia."

Ms. Metreweli, who assumed leadership of Britain's foreign intelligence service from Sir Richard Moore this autumn, making her the first woman in that role, will characterize the danger using the term "hybrid warfare." This encompasses activities like cyber attacks and drone operations close to vital infrastructure, which are suspected of being executed by Russian proxies. She will emphasize that in this new landscape, "the front line is everywhere." The chief is expected to state that the UK will maintain pressure on President Vladimir Putin in support of Ukraine.

While Western sanctions have impacted Russia’s economy, driving its exports toward China and India, they have not deterred Putin's resolve to continue the war until Ukraine submits to Moscow’s territorial and loyalty demands.

A central theme of Ms. Metreweli's speech will be the necessity of technological mastery within the intelligence service. Drawing on her background, having previously led MI6's technology and innovation teams (known informally as Q Branch), she will urge intelligence officers to become proficient in new technologies.

The spy chief is expected to emphasize that agents must master both the digital and human aspects of their work: "We must be as comfortable with lines of [computer] code as we are with human sources, as fluent in Python as we are in multiple languages." This focus underscores the reality that in the age of biometric scanning and pervasive data, traditional spy methods must evolve to remain effective. The address will ultimately emphasize the crucial role of human judgment and autonomy in directing technological development, concluding with the assertion: The paramount difficulty of the current century lies not merely in controlling the most advanced technologies, but in steering them with superior insight and judgment.

Defense Chief Calls for "Whole of Society Approach" to Resilience

In a parallel address on Monday, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir Richard Knighton, will stress the need for a "whole of society approach" to strengthen national resilience against mounting global threats.

Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute, Sir Richard is expected to warn that the current global situation is the most dangerous he has seen in his entire career. He will emphasize that Russia's stated ambition is to challenge, limit, divide, and ultimately destroy NATO.

The response, he argues, must go beyond strengthening the armed forces alone. He will propose that effective deterrence requires mobilizing the entire nation's resources, from its universities and industry to critical infrastructure like the rail network and the NHS.

Sir Richard will assert that "A new era for defence doesn't just mean our military and government stepping up... it means our whole nation stepping up." To address a critical skills gap in defense, he will announce a £50 million investment for new defense technical excellence colleges. The call for national readiness adds to the growing political debate in the UK, following similar discussions in France and Germany regarding potential forms of national service.