Britain has been quietly preparing for a direct attack by Russia, according to reports, as fears grow that the country is not ready for war.
Officials have been asked to update 20-year-old contingency plans in case of threats of attack by a foreign actor such as the Kremlin.
The Telegraph reports that classified documents will lay out how the Government would respond if war broke out, with plans including bunkers to protect the Royal family and Cabinet members, public service broadcasts and stockpiled resources.
An update to the homeland defence plan will set out a strategy for the days immediately after a strike on the UK mainland by a hostile foreign state.
It will include scenarios in which Britain is hit by conventional missiles, nuclear warheads or cyber attacks.
The plan will also guide the Prime Minister and Cabinet on how to run a wartime government, as well as looking at rail and road networks, courts, postal systems and phone lines.
It is understood that the document is unlikely to ever be published publicly.
Earlier this year, the Prime Minister warned that Vladimir Putin’s Russia was already “menacing Britain’s skies, waters, streets and national security”.
Sir Keir Starmer also insisted last week that his government is taking “the bold action needed to stand up to Putin and ruthlessly protect UK and European security”.
The Kremlin has repeatedly threatened the UK with direct action due to its support for Ukraine, while experts have warned that Britain’s infrastructure is vulnerable to attack.
Gas terminals, undersea cables, nuclear power plants, and transport hubs could all be targeted in an attack on Britain.
Already Russian military planes have been seen flying towards the UK, a suspected spy ship was caught loitering over undersea infrastructure in British waters, and attacks on Russians in Britain include the poisoning of ex-double agent Sergei Skripal with Novichok in Salisbury in March 2018, as well as the murder of former spy Alexander Litvinenko in November 2006.
Earlier this year, the Cabinet Office published a risk assessment looking at what would happen if missiles and cyber attacks were launched on Britain’s infrastructure at the same time.
The report found a successful attack was “likely to result in civilian fatalities as well as members of the emergency services”, cause serious economic damage and disrupt essential services.
Further concerns have been raised about gas terminals and the country’s five active nuclear power stations.
The new contingency plan will, for the first time, address cyber warfare, which is understood to be one of the most dangerous threats to the UK. It will also look at what would happen if there were a nuclear attack on Britain.
The government has committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and a spokesman told the Telegraph: “The UK has robust plans in place for a range of potential emergencies that have been developed and tested over many years.”
