Britain’s frontline is everywhere: General Sir Richard Barrons on preparing for Russia’s hybrid threat.
When people picture a “front line”, they often imagine trenches, tanks and troop movements. But the warning now coming from across the UK’s security community is that the front line is no longer confined to a distant battlefield — it can run through our networks, ports, supply chains, airports, critical infrastructure and information space.
That’s the context for a timely new episode of The Story (The Times and The Sunday Times), in which UDSS Co-Chair General Sir Richard Barrons joins host Manveen Rana to explore what conflict with Russia could look like — and what the UK should do to prepare.
Why this matters now
In mid-December 2025, the UK’s new MI6 chief, Blaise Metreweli, warned of an “age of uncertainty” shaped by tactics that sit just below the threshold of war — including cyber activity, sabotage, disinformation and disruptive drone incidents — while senior military leadership has echoed the need for a broader, national response.
The core message: deterrence and resilience aren’t only military problems. They are societal and economic ones too.
What “conflict” looks like in 2025
In the episode, General Barrons describes a threat picture that blends:
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Kinetic and stand-off attacks, including the changing role of drones and precision effects
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Cyber operations aimed at disrupting services, systems and decision-making
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Sabotage and interference targeting critical infrastructure and supply chains
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Disinformation and psychological pressure designed to confuse, divide and slow responses
This aligns closely with recent public warnings about hostile activity ranging from critical infrastructure cyberattacks to information manipulation and disruptive drone incidents.
What the UK should do next
A consistent thread is that preparation needs to be practical, rehearsed and cross-sector — not only plans on paper. That means:
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Building national resilience (continuity of essential services, response playbooks, recovery capacity)
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Strengthening public–private coordination (shared situational awareness, clearer roles, faster escalation paths)
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Investing in capability and capacity (industrial readiness, skills pipelines, and innovation that can scale)
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Hardening against information operations (trusted communications and faster rebuttal of false narratives)
At UDSS, we work at the intersection of strategy, technology, industry and national resilience — helping leaders understand the operating environment, stress-test assumptions, and translate strategic intent into real-world readiness across government, defence, and the wider ecosystem.
If you’re involved in defence, security, critical national infrastructure, investment, or technology — this episode is a valuable listen.
Listen now
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