In a rare public address, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum has warned that Russia’s intelligence agency is actively seeking to create “sustained mayhem on British and European streets.”
Speaking about the escalating threats facing the UK, McCallum described the current security environment as the most “complex and interconnected” in the country’s history.
McCallum highlighted that MI5 had thwarted 43 late-stage plots aimed at committing “mass murder” in the UK since 2017, involving firearms, explosives, and other deadly tactics. While much of the agency’s counter-terrorism efforts remain focused on Islamic extremism, he noted that the growing threat of extreme right-wing terrorism, as well as a wide range of ideologies, adds further complexity to their operations.
He revealed that MI5’s workload had expanded beyond traditional terror threats to include “state-backed assassination and sabotage plots,” which now form a significant part of the agency’s activities. He added that the Russian invasion of Ukraine had led to a surge in Russian espionage and sabotage efforts in Europe, with MI5 increasing its state-threat investigations by 48% over the past year.
“Russia is engaging in arson, sabotage, and more dangerous actions here in the UK,” McCallum said, explaining that over 750 Russian diplomats—most of whom were spies—had been expelled from Europe following the invasion of Ukraine. While the mass expulsion has hindered Russian intelligence operations, Moscow has increasingly relied on proxies such as private intelligence operatives to continue its activities. According to McCallum, this shift has weakened the professionalism of Russian operations, making them easier to disrupt.
In addition to Russia, McCallum highlighted a surge in Iran-backed plots targeting the UK, revealing that MI5 and British police had responded to 20 such incidents since 2022. These plots posed “potentially lethal threats” to British citizens and UK residents.
Despite these growing international threats, McCallum emphasized that counter-terrorism work remains predominantly focused on “75% Islamist extremism and 25% extreme right-wing terrorism.”
One alarming trend McCallum raised was the increasing radicalization of young people. He noted that 13% of those investigated for terrorist activities were under 18, marking a threefold increase over the past three years. Much of this radicalization is attributed to the internet, with lone individuals being indoctrinated online. “Sorting the real plotters from armchair extremists is an exacting task,” McCallum said, adding that online extremism often leads to deadly real-world actions.
With these multiple threats on the rise, McCallum admitted that MI5 had “one hell of a job on its hands.” He highlighted the volatile nature of many would-be terrorists, describing them as individuals with “a tenuous grip on ideologies” who can turn to violence with little warning.
The UK’s intelligence community continues to face an uphill battle against a dizzying array of threats, from state-sponsored attacks to radicalized individuals, many of whom are being drawn into dangerous ideologies through dark corners of the internet.
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