RUSSIA’S intelligence agency is actively seeking to create “sustained mayhem” on the streets of the UK and Europe, the head of MI5 has revealed. In a stark warning, Director General Ken McCallum said Britain now faces the most “complex and interconnected” security threat it has ever seen, as a mix of state-backed plots and terror-related threats continue to escalate.
Mr McCallum shared these concerns during a briefing at MI5’s counter-terrorism operations centre in London, where he highlighted the growing challenges facing the intelligence service. He described the situation as “one hell of a job”, with MI5 now contending not only with terrorist plots but also state-sponsored activities, all against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Since 2017, a total of 43 late-stage plots to commit “mass murder” in the UK have been foiled. These plots involved the use of firearms and explosives, and most were linked to Islamic extremism. However, Mr McCallum noted the rise of “extreme right-wing terrorism” as well, emphasising that MI5 is dealing with a “dizzying range of beliefs and ideologies.”
He added: “The first 20 years of my career here were crammed full of terrorist threats. We now face those alongside state-backed assassination and sabotage plots, against the backdrop of a major European land war.”
One of the most alarming trends, according to the MI5 chief, is the increase in threats from nation states. The number of state-related investigations carried out by MI5 in the past year has surged by 48%. Mr McCallum specifically cited Russia’s intent to disrupt security in the UK and Europe, as well as the 20 Iran-backed plots that have been uncovered since 2022.
Mr McCallum also raised concerns over the role of the internet in radicalising individuals, noting that “a high proportion” of threats now involve lone actors who have been indoctrinated online. He explained that sorting out “real plotters from armchair extremists” is a challenging and delicate task for the security service. “In dark corners of the internet, talk is cheap. Anonymous online connections are often inconsequential, but a minority lead to deadly, real-world actions,” he warned.
Worryingly, around 13% of those involved in terrorism investigations are under the age of 18—a figure that has tripled in the last three years. This rise in the radicalisation of young people, especially online, is a growing concern for MI5.
Mr McCallum concluded by highlighting the complexity of the current threat landscape, which includes not just organised terrorist groups but also “volatile, would-be terrorists with only a tenuous grip of ideologies.” As the lines between different types of threats blur, the task of keeping the UK safe has never been more challenging.
