UK warns of Russian cyber threat as NATO gathers in London

The Kremlin is poised to escalate cyber warfare against the United Kingdom and its allies to undermine support for Ukraine, a senior minister will warn today.

Speaking at the NATO Cyber Defence Conference in London, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden will describe Russian cyber operations as a “hidden war” aimed at destabilizing critical infrastructure and disrupting Western unity.

“Cyber war can be destabilising and debilitating,” McFadden will tell NATO allies at Lancaster House, warning that Moscow’s actions are “exceptionally aggressive and reckless.” He is set to highlight the growing risk of Russian state-aligned hacking groups targeting British businesses and power grids, threatening to “turn the lights off for millions of people.”

McFadden’s remarks come amid rising concerns over Russia’s cyber-warfare capabilities. He will accuse Unit 29155, a shadowy Russian military intelligence unit, of conducting at least nine cyberattacks on NATO states, including sabotage against critical national infrastructure. The unit has also been linked to the 2018 Salisbury poisonings of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

The minister will also call attention to recent cyberattacks on UK councils in Middlesbrough, Salford, Portsmouth, and Tees, many of which have been claimed by pro-Russian hacking groups. These “unofficial hacktivists,” McFadden will argue, act with the Kremlin’s tacit approval as long as their actions align with President Vladimir Putin’s interests.

“Given the scale of that hostility, my message to members today is clear: no one should underestimate the Russian cyber threat to NATO. The threat is real,” McFadden is expected to say.

Today’s warning follows a September intelligence briefing accusing Unit 29155 of targeting Western efforts to support Ukraine against Russia’s full-scale invasion. McFadden’s speech underscores growing international concerns about the increasing sophistication and scope of Russian cyber warfare as the conflict in Ukraine grinds on.