UK to Recognize Russia as "Immediate and Urgent" Threat

The United Kingdom is entering a “new era of threat,” where drones, artificial intelligence, and other technologies are fundamentally reshaping the nature of warfare.

This is the central message of the UK government’s strategic defense review, set to be unveiled on June 2, according to an article by The Guardian published on May 31.

The 130-page document, authored by three advisers to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, describes Russia as an “immediate and pressing” danger. While China is not labeled an enemy, it is defined as a “sophisticated and persistent challenge” that, at times, cooperates with Moscow.

Iran and North Korea are also cited as “regional disruptors.” The UK recently imposed sanctions on Iran following its October 1 missile strike on Israel.

The review presents the most serious military and security outlook since the Cold War, but stops short of declaring that Russia’s cyber and sabotage operations amount to open war with the UK.

Led by former NATO Secretary General George Robertson, the review reportedly does not introduce new spending commitments but reaffirms the government’s pledge to raise defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and 3% in the next parliamentary term. It is expected to provide the rationale for a significant defense budget increase, potentially over £50 billion, set to be discussed at the NATO summit in June.

The document is also expected to address the size of the British army, which stood at just 70,860 as of April 1—the lowest since the Napoleonic era. A planned increase of 5,000 troops would require around £2.5 billion annually but would help meet expanding military commitments.

On May 29, it was reported that Russia-linked hackers, masquerading as journalists, attempted to target staff at the UK Ministry of Defense in a cyber espionage campaign that has since been detected and blocked.