Britain 'cannot defend itself against Russia'
UK 'could not cope' if Putin attacked, say military chiefs, who warn that defences have been 'decimated'
As Anglo-Russian relations remain strained over the crisis in Ukraine, senior military officials have warned that Britain would not be able to defend itself in the event of a Russian attack.
The UK "could not cope" with an attack from Putin as the country's defences have been "decimated" due to decades of cutbacks, military chiefs told the Daily Mail.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The warning comes after Russian fighter jets were spotted near the coast of Cornwall. RAF Typhoons were scrambled from their base in Lincolnshire to escort the two Russian Bear bombers further south, the latest in a number of incursions by Russian warplanes, ships and submarines.
David Cameron attempted to downplay the incident, saying: "I don't think we should dignify it with too much of a response". However, he did acknowledge that the Kremlin appeared to be "trying to make some sort of a point".
Falklands War 2? Argentina's fighters 'a serious threat'
He defended the country's defence capabilities, saying the incident demonstrated that the military had the correct systems in place to protect the UK.
Air Commodore Andrew Lambert, who commanded forces in Iraq, disagreed with the Prime Minister. "The Typhoon is a really good aircraft but with their relatively small numbers they would be overwhelmed: the Russians would outflank us, go around us or just go through us."
Former RAF chief Sir Michael Graydon argues that the purpose of these Russian flight missions was to check Britain's air defences and they have "probably worked out we are not as sharp as we were."
"They know it is provocative and they are doing it at a time when defence in the west is pretty wet compared to where they are," he said.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Sleaze baack!'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 20 - 26 April
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
Humza Yousaf clears the decks to battle no-confidence vote
Speed Read First minister is 'done', according to insider, but a single vote could change the balance
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Is Henry Kissinger right about Ukraine?
Speed Read The US statesman made a controversial speech at a virtual Davos appearance last week
By The Week Staff Published
-
How the Taliban is rolling back the freedoms of the past 20 years
Speed Read Supreme leader has now announced that all women must cover their faces in public
By The Week Staff Published
-
Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused evacuation as Russian hitmen ‘parachuted’ into Kyiv
Speed Read Ukrainian president turned down opportunity to leave capital despite threat to life, adviser claims
By The Week Staff Published
-
Russia can still ‘win’ Ukraine war, Western officials warn
Speed Read Vladimir Putin adjusts tactics after ‘humiliation’ for second phase of invasion
By The Week Staff Published
-
Ukraine war: the atrocities unfolding out of sight
Speed Read Vladimir Putin’s strategy of ‘Russification’ is straight from Stalin’s playbook
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Can Vladimir Putin be toppled?
Speed Read Russia has become what political scientists call ‘a personalist dictatorship’
By The Week Staff Published
-
The meaning behind the Z Russian military symbol
Speed Read Taken from the Latin alphabet, it has become a sign of support for Putin’s war
By The Week Staff Published
-
Houthi rebel attacks: a new development in Yemen’s ‘festering’ war
Speed Read The conflict escalated in January when a Houthi drone attack hit oil facilities in the UAE
By The Week Staff Published