Russia is “relentlessly” targeting Britain and its allies through cyber attacks, sabotage and hybrid operations aimed at critical infrastructure, democratic systems and public trust, the head of GCHQ will warn this week.
GCHQ chief Anne Keast-Butler is expected to deliver the agency’s inaugural annual lecture on Wednesday, setting out what she describes as an escalating campaign by hostile states to destabilise the UK and Europe through digital and covert means.
She is expected to warn that the speed of technological change — particularly advances in artificial intelligence — is narrowing the window for the UK and its allies to stay ahead of emerging threats.
In her speech, she will highlight efforts to disrupt Russian attempts to bypass sanctions, counter cyber attacks, and prevent sabotage and assassination plots linked to state-backed actors.
“As we remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine, Putin is going backwards on the battlefield,” she is expected to say.
The remarks come amid growing concern across Western security agencies about the scale and persistence of Russian hybrid activity targeting European states, including the UK.
Officials say this includes attacks on government systems, private sector networks, supply chains and democratic processes, alongside broader efforts to erode public confidence in institutions.
Keast-Butler is expected to urge businesses and the public to step up cyber security measures, warning that resilience must be built “from boardrooms to living rooms”.
“At home, that means taking important action now to switch passwords for passkeys,” she will say, adding that security must be “hardwired into new technologies” across society.
Her intervention follows recent warnings from NATO commanders about the alliance’s readiness for potential conflict with Russia.
Christopher Donahue recently said NATO must be “mission-ready by 2030”, arguing that traditional advantages in mobilisation and logistics can no longer be assumed.
Separately, allied forces have been conducting exercises in London simulating “deep strike” operations and electronic warfare designed to disrupt Russian communications and drone systems in the event of a conflict in Eastern Europe.
Security officials have also raised concerns about increasing electronic interference affecting military and government aircraft operating near Russian territory.
Earlier this year, a flight carrying UK Defence Secretary John Healey experienced GPS disruption while travelling near the Russian border, an incident believed to have involved hostile jamming.
A defence source described such activity as “reckless Russian interference”, adding that UK forces are increasingly required to operate in contested electronic environments.
The head of the National Cyber Security Centre has previously warned that Britain faces frequent state-linked cyber incidents, with hostile actors including Russia, China and Iran conducting sustained probing and disruption operations.
Keast-Butler is also expected to highlight the role of China as a major technological power with advanced cyber and intelligence capabilities, warning that rapid developments in artificial intelligence are reshaping the global security landscape.
“China is now a science and tech superpower,” she is expected to say, noting that competition in cyber and digital infrastructure is intensifying alongside geopolitical tensions.
She will call for closer cooperation between government, industry and academia to respond at greater speed, warning that adversaries are already exploiting vulnerabilities across supply chains and digital systems.
Recent months have also seen increased concern about Russian naval activity near undersea cables and energy infrastructure in the North Atlantic, prompting renewed warnings from UK defence officials about the security of critical national assets.
Ministers have said Britain and its allies are closely monitoring such movements and have warned Moscow that any attempt to damage infrastructure would carry “serious consequences”.
The latest warning from GCHQ is expected to reinforce growing concern in Westminster that cyber and hybrid threats are now a permanent feature of the security landscape, requiring sustained investment and vigilance across both government and the private sector.
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