Peter Ricketts urges UK to strengthen defences against Russian attacks

Summary

Former national security adviser Peter Ricketts has urged the UK to improve its resilience against Russian hybrid attacks. The Guardian reports that he called on ministers to be honest about the immediate threat, which he said could soon cost lives, and to protect banking, energy and water systems from cyberattacks; the BBC reports that he called for more spending to strengthen energy, transport, air traffic control and defence sites.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   17 Oct 2026, 10:19 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Peter Ricketts urged ministers to be honest about the Russian threat and called for more resilience in banking, energy and water systems against cyberattacks.

2. BBC

   17 Oct 2026, 12:56 UTCSource ↗

   The BBC reports that Lord Ricketts said more should be spent improving the resilience of energy, transport, air traffic control and defence sites.