Former army chief warns Russia is an ‘immediate and pressing threat’ to the UK

Former British Army chief General Sir Richard Barrons has issued a terrifying warning that UK towns and cities could easily suffer destruction on a scale seen in Ukraine.

The author of the government’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) warned that UK cities could be devastated by cruise missiles within 90 minutes.

Russia has bombed Ukraine for over three years and some towns and villages have been destroyed.

Gen Barrons told Sky News Politics Hub on Tuesday, “Right now, we should be very concerned about countries like Russia and how they might try and effect our daily national life. You look at the damage done to places like Kyiv, by missiles and air attack. Those are the same missiles and bombs that could do the same damage to London, Birmingham, Liverpool or Newcastle if we don’t take steps to deter that.

“We should absolutely be prepared to exist in a world where things like precision missiles can range the UK and do great harm.”

He added, That’s not to say it’s about to happen or imminent, but in terms of the capability, a cruise missile is only 90 minutes away from the UK.”

Gen Barrons warned that Russia is an “immediate and pressing threat” to the UK following Vladimir Putin’s full-scale war against Ukraine which make it “unequivocally clear its willingness to use force to achieve its goals,” the SDR report said.

The SDR also warned that China is also a “sophisticated and persistent challenge […] “likely to continue seeking advantage through espionage and cyber-attacks.”

Lord Dannatt, who is also a former Army chief said that UK building the army will be slow and it is just like “asking Adolf Hitler not to attack until 1946.”

 On Monday the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said, “First, we are moving to war-fighting readiness as the central purpose of our armed forces.

“When we are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces, the most effective way to deter them is to be ready, and frankly, to show them that we’re ready to deliver peace through strength.”

On Tuesday the Defence Secretary has vowed that the government will grow the military to at least 76,000 soldiers and has pledged to reverse “decades” of hollowing out the armed forces.

John Healey claims Labour is the first government “in a generation” who will not cut numbers down further into the armed forces.

Healey told GB News, “This review is the first for a generation that doesn’t look to hollow out our armed forces further. Instead, it looks to build out the forces, grow the forces and grow jobs.”