Right now, such scenarios tend to exercise only the minds of Ministry of Defence war-gamers and military thriller writers. But far-fetched as they might sound, General Sir Patrick Sanders, the head of Britain’s army, believes it is time we dwelt on them more. But without political support, the mindset of a country that does not feel like it is about to go to war is unlikely to change. But he was making the point that if war broke out troop numbers would be too small. But it boosts the strength of the professional armed forces, which is often relatively small.
- Mr Murayev called the claims "stupid" in an interview with Reuters news agency.
- Cuts have already seen the size of the British Army fall from more than 100,000 in 2010 to around 73,000 now.
- But be we warriors or wimps, now is the time to start facing up to the prospect, says Ed Arnold, a European Security Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.
- General Sir Patrick Sanders will stress the need for the Government to “mobilise the nation” in the event of war with Russia in a speech on Wednesday.
- Despite warnings from the US and its Nato allies that any invasion by Russia of Ukraine would have "severe economic consequences," Moscow's military build-up on the border continues.
The measures against both the the banks and individuals include UK asset freezes, a travel ban and prohibition on British individuals and businesses dealing with them. The individuals concerned are Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg, and Igor Rotenberg, all oligarchs who Mr Johnson described as “cronies” of the Russian president. Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank and the Black Sea Ban are the banks in question. While the UK has no plans to directly go to war with Russia, Mr Johnson had strong words for his Russian counterpart on Thursday. It is extremely unlikely that the UK will go to war with Russia any time soon.
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Russia might use the crisis to launch cyber and other hybrid attacks on Nato countries. It could even send troops to the three Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. Oil prices have also risen since the invasion, given Russia’s role as an oil producer and as a form of security for investors as the stock market slumps. In terms of military aid, the UK has trained 22,000 Ukrainian troops under Operation Orbital since 2015, supporting both Ukraine’s army and navy.
- Some allies believe Sanders should have been promoted to replace Radakin, but he was asked to step down early after serving two of three years as army chief.
- Madame Chair, as we approach the third year since Russia’s full-scale invasion, the UK’s support will not falter.
- If war broke out in Ukraine and Russian forces occupied large swathes of the country, many civilians might flee.
- Russia could in theory mobilise some 25 million people for military service, but that is not yet being considered.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted that the Foreign Office was "circulating disinformation" and urged it to "cease these provocative activities" and "stop spreading nonsense". The UK has accused President Putin of plotting to install a pro-Moscow figure to lead Ukraine's government. "Because this act of wanton and reckless aggression is an attack not just on Ukraine, it's an attack on democracy and freedom in eastern Europe and around the world." The UK "cannot and will not just look away" at Russia's "hideous and barbaric" attack on Ukraine, Boris Johnson has said. He said the UK's "baffling" decision to hold back sanctions until after Russia's incursion into Ukraine had not deterred Mr Putin. UK nationals were advised two weeks ago to leave Ukraine while commercial flights were still available.
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Both President Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu stressed that conscripts would not be sent to fight in Ukraine. Leaders including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen have both called for an accelerated roll-out of clean energy. Germany has said it might need to use coal, the most polluting fossil fuel, for longer than expected, in order to free itself from gas. It came as Ukraine was hit by a wave of Russian missiles on Tuesday, in attacks that killed eight people and wounded dozens in Kyiv and Kharkiv. The Royal Navy is struggling to hire more than the other forces, with just 29,000 full-time recruits.
- Russia initially denied sending conscript soldiers to Ukraine, but several officers were disciplined after cases came to light of conscripts being forced to sign contracts.
- Even if cyberattacks didn’t wipe out Netflix, wartime Britons would still face a life without luxuries.
- The logistics of training a “Citizen Army” are also formidable, according to one former Territorial Army (TA) soldier.
- In 2022, Gen Sir Patrick used a speech to warn that the UK was facing its “1937 moment” over the war in Ukraine, and said Britain must be ready to “fight and win” to ward off the threat from Russia.
Mr Johnson said the UK and its allies would agree a "massive package of economic sanctions" in a bid to "hobble" the Russian economy, warning that the West would need to cease its dependence on Russian oil and gas. Speaking at a military conference, Sanders starkly described the British people as part of a “prewar generation” who may have to prepare themselves to fight in a war against an increasingly aggressive Russia. The chief of general staff highlighted the example of Sweden, which has just reintroduced a form of national service as it closes in on joining Nato. Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson said the prime minister did not agree with comments made by Gen Sir Patrick Sanders in a speech on Wednesday, and was forced to insist there would be no return to national service, which was abolished in 1960. The Western defence official said that if Russia chose to carry out an attack now it could do so.
One Whitehall source told the Times that the training of Ukrainian civilians on UK soil could act as a rehearsal for rapid Army expansion. The size of its active armed forces is only 19,000 personnel, but it can call on another 238,000 reserves. As Gen Sir Patrick Sanders stated several times in his speech on Wednesday, "Ukraine really matters". Russia's ambitions, he said, were not just about seizing territory but "about defeating our system and way of life politically, psychologically and symbolically". But its method - a pair of statements aimed very much at the Sunday papers - has raised eyebrows. The Foreign Office, in a press release remarkably short on detail, said it had evidence of a Russian plot to install a puppet government in the wake of an invasion.
- There would also be concerns about looting, especially if food shortages started to bite.
- The prime minister did confirm that 1,000 more troops would be put on alert in the UK if Russia were to invade although Downing Street is likely to follow the lead set by Nato.
- Some migrants might stay in neighbouring Poland and eastern European countries, but some might head further west and eventually end up in the UK.
Those remaining have again been urged to leave Ukraine immediately - if they judge it is safe to do so. Martial law - which means the military takes control temporarily - has been imposed across the whole of Ukraine and traffic jams built up as people fled the capital city of Kyiv. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a "catastrophe for our continent", Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said. If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at Please include your name, age and location with any submission. There was a major separatist conflict in Chechnya in the 1990s, with a decade of ultimately unsuccessful fighting for its independence. Speaking as the Foreign Office pulled some embassy staff out of Ukraine, the PM said the situation was "pretty gloomy" but war was not inevitable.
- "Added to that are the recent border crisis involving thousands of migrants in Belarus, as well as Russia's backing of separatists in the Caucasus and elsewhere," he said.
- It's promising to deploy British forces to eastern European members of the Nato military alliance if Russian troops cross Ukraine's borders.
- There was a major separatist conflict in Chechnya in the 1990s, with a decade of ultimately unsuccessful fighting for its independence.
- Russia has denied it is planning any attack but Mr Putin has issued demands to the West, including that Ukraine be prevented from joining the Nato military alliance.
- He said he was launching a “special military operation” in the east of the country.
Instead, he was urging Britain to prepare for a mass mobilisation of tens of thousands of people, should war break out. Finland, Nato's newest member and a country which has an 800-mile border with Russia, has wider conscription. Refusal can mean a jail sentence, though there is the option of civilian service out of uniform too. A number of European countries also rehearse for civil emergencies - with exercises that involve ordinary citizens as well as the military.
Russia’s actions have drawn widespread condemnation from the West, including from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who addressed the UK with a televised statement on Thursday. Europe itself could restrict future gas flows by abandoning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which would run under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. Some autocratic leaders are looking to see how robustly the West resists attempts to undermine the territorial integrity of a sovereign nation. Western powers are acutely aware this crisis is being closely watched by the rest of the world.
In his speech, Sanders said the cold war peace dividend was over, noting that “over the last 30 years, the army has been halved in size; in the last 12 years, we’ve absorbed a 28% reduction”. Recruitment remained a challenge, he said, although applications to join were “the highest in six years”. A little earlier, we told you about a report in the Financial Times that the EU was proposing to sabotage Hungary's economy if Budapest blocks further aid for Ukraine this week. Only https://euronewstop.co.uk/what-is-the-uk-doing-about-ukraine.html deployed to protect energy facilities, or those carrying top Russian or foreign officials, will be allowed to fly with special permission in the designated zones, according to the Vedomosti daily newspaper. A spate of Ukraine-linked attacks on Russia's oil infrastructure have reportedly led Moscow's energy ministry to propose restricting flights over energy facilities.