Russia, Iran, and China are increasingly involved in life-threatening activities on British soil—including attacks and kidnappings—often carried out by criminal networks or, in some cases, by children, according to two senior UK counterterrorism officials.
British authorities have repeatedly raised alarms in recent years about hostile actions from these states, ranging from espionage and attempts to destabilise the country to acts of sabotage and targeted assassinations. Moscow, Tehran, and Beijing have denied these allegations, dismissing them as politically motivated.
On Tuesday, UK officials reported a fivefold surge in hostile state activity since the 2017 Novichok poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, which the UK has blamed on Russian intelligence operatives.
Dominic Murphy, head of London’s Counter Terrorism Command, warned that the scale and complexity of state-backed operations by Russia, Iran, and China have grown beyond expectations.
“We are increasingly seeing these three states engaging in threat-to-life operations within the UK,” Murphy told reporters.
According to Vicki Evans, the Senior National Coordinator for UK Counter Terrorism Policing, these operations are often outsourced to proxies—typically low-level criminals paid small sums of money. Some individuals involved include vulnerable or marginalised people, including teenagers who have been arrested or are under investigation.
Evans expressed concern about young people being manipulated online. “We worry that some of them may be coaxed or encouraged into actions they don’t fully understand, rather than being ideologically driven,” she said.
Earlier this month, three men were convicted for setting fire to Ukraine-linked businesses in London in an attack that police said was ordered by Russia’s Wagner Group. The group's leader had previously admitted to plotting the kidnapping of a vocal critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a separate warning, MI5 revealed last year that since January 2022, Iran has been linked to at least 20 plots targeting British citizens or residents seen as hostile by Tehran.
Murphy added that Iran continues to try to incite violence in the UK, also relying on criminal networks to carry out its plans.
Hong Kong on Saturday mourned the 128 people known to have died in a massive fire at a high-rise apartment complex, a toll that is likely to rise with...
The global recall of Airbus A320 aircraft has triggered widespread disruption across several major airlines, forcing flight cancellations in the Unite...
U.S. investigators have recovered the black box recorders from the wreckage of a UPS cargo plane that crashed in flames on takeoff in Louisville, Kent...
Pope Leo visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Saturday, stepping inside one of the most iconic sites of the Muslim world. He removed his shoes at the e...
Russian drones and missiles struck several districts of Kyiv early on Saturday, killing one person and injuring more than a dozen. Fires swept through...
Hong Kong on Saturday mourned the 128 people known to have died in a massive fire at a high-rise apartment complex, a toll that is likely to rise with 150 still missing days after the disaster.
The global recall of Airbus A320 aircraft has triggered widespread disruption across several major airlines, forcing flight cancellations in the United States, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
U.S. investigators have recovered the black box recorders from the wreckage of a UPS cargo plane that crashed in flames on takeoff in Louisville, Kentucky. At least twelve people died. The crash sent a wall of fire into an industrial corridor and forced the shutdown of the airport.
Pope Leo visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Saturday, stepping inside one of the most iconic sites of the Muslim world. He removed his shoes at the entrance in a gesture of respect. He did not appear to pray.
At least 47 people have died and another 21 are reported missing following ten days of heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides across Sri Lanka, local media reported on Thursday (27 November).
Hong Kong fire authorities said they expected to wrap up search and rescue operations on Friday after the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years tore through a massive apartment complex, killing at least 128 people, injuring 79 and leaving around 200 still missing.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited sailors aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier in the Latin American region on Thursday, amid a military buildup by President Donald Trump’s administration that has heightened tensions with Venezuela.
Rescuers in Sri Lanka are racing against rising floodwaters and treacherous terrain today after a powerful storm system slammed into the island nation, killing at least 46 people and displacing tens of thousands in a disaster that threatens to strain the country’s resources.
The Spanish agricultural sector has been placed on high alert following the confirmation that African Swine Fever (ASF) has resurfaced in the country for the first time in over thirty years.
Hong Kong on Saturday mourned the 128 people known to have died in a massive fire at a high-rise apartment complex, a toll that is likely to rise with 150 still missing days after the disaster.
The global recall of Airbus A320 aircraft has triggered widespread disruption across several major airlines, forcing flight cancellations in the United States, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Pope Leo visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Saturday, stepping inside one of the most iconic sites of the Muslim world. He removed his shoes at the entrance in a gesture of respect. He did not appear to pray.
Russian drones and missiles struck several districts of Kyiv early on Saturday, killing one person and injuring more than a dozen. Fires swept through residential blocks as debris rained over the city.
Shoppers packed malls and downtown streets in Caracas on Black Friday (28 November) as retailers offered discounts despite Venezuela’s prolonged economic crisis. Customers queued in shoe and electronics stores and browsed signs advertising cuts of up to 50%.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment