Putin’s hybrid war on Britain laid bare

Britain has unleashed its biggest sanctions package against Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine — but experts warn Vladimir Putin is already waging war on the UK in ways far beyond the battlefield.

On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stood in Kyiv on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion and announced sweeping new measures targeting dozens of companies and individuals across Russia’s military, energy and banking sectors.

She said the UK had taken “decisive action to disrupt the critical financing, military equipment and revenue streams that sustain Russia’s aggression, in our largest raft of measures since the early months of the invasion”.

The crackdown hits nuclear and gas firms and banks accused of helping Moscow dodge sanctions.

It also targets 48 vessels and 175 companies in Russia’s “2Rivers” illicit oil network, part of the so-called “shadow fleet” used to evade restrictions.

But will it change Putin’s course?

John Foreman, former UK defence attaché in Moscow, says sanctions have so far delivered only a “slow puncture” to the Russian economy.

“It’s not been decisive enough to change Putin’s calculation on the war,” he told The i Paper.

Foreman believes hopes in 2022 that sanctions would force Putin “to heel” were misplaced.

Instead, he warns, Moscow is pursuing a “hybrid war” against Britain — sabotage, cyber attacks and disinformation designed to weaken the UK from within.

“Russia’s aim is to weaken the UK from within, to separate the UK from Europe and Europe from North America, reduce our willingness to support Ukraine, and reduce our fighting potential as a country,” he said.

At sea, Britain’s undersea cables — which carry around 90 per cent of UK data — are in the spotlight.

In November last year, the Russian ship Yantar was spotted near UK waters and is suspected of mapping critical cables.

Oil and gas pipelines could also be vulnerable, experts warn.

On 31 December, Finnish police detained a vessel sailing from Russia under the flag of St Vincent and Grenadines over suspected damage to a telecoms cable between Helsinki and Estonia.

Meanwhile, more than 100 sanctioned Russian ships have passed through UK waters since Britain helped the US seize tanker Bella 1 last month.

On land, sabotage has already struck.

Last October, six men were jailed for torching a London warehouse supplying aid to Ukraine, causing £1.3m in damage on orders from the Kremlin.

The ringleader was recruited by the Wagner mercenary group, which is banned as a terrorist organisation in the UK.

In May, three men were arrested over suspected arson attacks at properties linked to Sir Keir Starmer.

Security officials examined possible Russian links, though Moscow denies involvement.

In cyberspace, the threat is relentless.

In January, the National Cyber Security Centre warned of “persistent targeting” of UK organisations by Russian state-aligned hacktivists.

Russia has also jammed GPS signals across Europe, including during a March 2024 flight carrying former defence secretary Grant Shapps near Russian territory.

The interference has disrupted commercial flights and even forced Finland’s Tartu Airport to close temporarily.

And then there’s the battle for hearts and minds.

Russia has been accused of funnelling money to political groupings to “stir the pot”, Foreman says.

Last November, former Reform UK Wales leader Nathan Gill was jailed for accepting bribes from a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician to promote pro-Russian narratives.

European agencies also uncovered a Kremlin-backed propaganda network called Pravda, which flooded AI chatbots with misinformation.

Foreman doubts Russia would risk direct military action against Britain because of Nato and nuclear deterrence.

But Tom Keatinge of the Royal United Services Institute says the UK must go further.

“We need to keep the pressure on,” he said, urging tougher and less “piecemeal” sanctions — even if they carry economic costs at home.

As Britain tightens the screws, the question looms: can sanctions outpace sabotage in this shadow conflict?

Key Takeaways

• The UK has launched its biggest sanctions package since 2022.

• Experts warn Putin is waging a hybrid war through sabotage and cyber attacks.

• Undersea cables, arson plots and propaganda networks are all in the frame.

The four ways Putin is waging war on the UK right now