The UK government is “on guard” against possible Russian attacks on British troops and is also bracing itself for cyber strikes, a defence minister has said.
Addressing the House of Lords on Feb. 25, defence minister Baroness Goldie said the UK is ready to protest itself following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which started the day before.
She said: “While there is no indication at present that Russia intends to directly target British or NATO forces, we should expect their forces and proxies to launch cyber attacks and misinformation campaigns, seeking opportunities to embarrass the UK or NATO and to undermine our resolve.”
She said the government stands ready to “protect our country against any threats, whether conventional or in cyberspace.”
“However, I’m afraid there’s no disguising the fact that a dark new chapter has opened in our history,” she added.
Around 900 UK troops are stationed in Estonia under Operation Cabrit, the UK’s contribution to NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence in the Baltic states, which some fear could also be targeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
An additional battlegroup of 850 troops has also begun deploying to Estonia over the past week, and 350 Royal Marines have been sent to Poland to reinforce the light cavalry squadron stationed there.
Goldie said 1,000 troops are on stand-by to deal with the exodus of people from Ukraine.
In the House of Commons, defence minister James Heappey said the UK will send further armed forces to Estonia “earlier than planned” to reinforce the NATO ally in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He said the Royal Welsh battlegroup will be sent to Estonia to “double up our force levels” there.
But Heappey emphasised that British and NATO troops “should not, must not, play an active role in Ukraine.”
“We must all be clear what the risk of miscalculation could be and how existential that could very quickly become if people miscalculate and things escalate unnecessarily,” he said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Feb. 24 that the West will face consequences for standing with Ukraine against Russian aggression.
He said the government will “do everything possible to safeguard our own people from the repercussions for the cost of living.”
“And, of course, we stand ready to protect our country from any threats including in cyberspace,” he added.
