MI5 warns Russia and Iran attempting to cause mayhem in Britain
Russia’s intelligence agency has been working to cause chaos on British and European streets, according to MI5 chief Ken McCallum. In his annual security update, McCallum said that Russian agents have been behind acts of arson, sabotage, and other reckless attacks in the UK, following Britain’s support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.
McCallum also revealed that MI5 has dealt with 20 plots linked to Iran since 2022. However, most of the agency’s focus remains on tackling Islamist extremism and far-right terrorism. The mix of threats from terrorists and hostile nations, like Russia, has made MI5’s work more challenging than ever.
He warned that because of the UK’s strong backing of Ukraine, more aggressive actions from Russia could happen on British soil. The UK’s current terror threat level remains substantial, meaning an attack is considered likely.
In a wide-ranging speech, he said:
- Young people were increasingly being drawn into online extremism, with 13% of those investigated for terrorism involvement aged under 18
- A total of 43 late-stage plots involving firearms and explosives to commit “mass murder” in the UK had been foiled since 2017
- The number of state-threat investigations by MI5 had increased by 48%
- Counter-terrorism work remained split between “75% Islamist extremism, 25% extreme right-wing terrorism”