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The United Kingdom is secretly preparing for a direct military attack by Russia amid fears it is unprepared for war.
This is reported by The Telegraph.
Officials have been ordered to update 20-year-old emergency plans that would shift the country into a wartime readiness state following threats of attack from the Kremlin.
A classified dossier will outline how the government would respond to a declaration of war, including bunkers to protect the government and royal family, emergency broadcasts, and stockpiling of resources.
Ministers fear that the UK may not only lose to Russia and its allies on the battlefield but also be caught unprepared and poorly defended at home.
The Kremlin has repeatedly threatened Britain with direct attacks over its support for Ukraine.
Experts have warned that the country is vulnerable to attacks on its critical national infrastructure, including gas terminals, undersea cables, nuclear power stations, and transport hubs.
According to The Telegraph, the updated secret “homeland defense plan” will outline strategy for the first days after a strike on UK territory by a hostile foreign power.
It will include scenarios where Britain is hit by conventional missiles, nuclear warheads, or cyberattacks — which were considered a limited threat when the last major update was made in 2005.
The plan, developed by the Cabinet Office’s Resilience Directorate, will include guidance for the Prime Minister and Cabinet on how to govern during wartime and when they should seek shelter in bunkers on Downing Street or outside London.
Military strategies regarding the rail and road networks, shipping, postal system, and telephone lines are also expected to be reviewed. It is unlikely that this document will be made public for several decades, if at all.
The Cabinet has already modeled a scenario in which a hostile state simultaneously launches missiles and cyberattacks on national infrastructure.
A risk assessment published in January indicated that a successful attack “could result in civilian and emergency services casualties,” cause severe economic damage, and disrupt essential services.
Defense officials have also urged Britain to develop its own version of Israel’s Iron Dome system to defend against missile strikes.
Last month, an RAF officer warned that if the first night of the Ukraine war took place in Britain, Russian missiles would breach UK defenses and destroy infrastructure targets.
British officials are particularly concerned about the country’s gas terminals and five operational nuclear power stations, which the government assesses could release radioactive materials across the country and cause “significant long-term security, health, environmental, and economic consequences” if hit.
The new British plan is modeled on the “War Book” — a Cold War-era secret dossier containing government response plans to a nuclear strike, which was later published in the National Archives.
The “War Book” included evacuation plans for the Prime Minister and key government figures, who were to be moved to a bunker in the Cotswolds in the event of a London bombing. Queen Elizabeth II would have evacuated on the royal yacht.
This planning comes as ministers prepare to release the Strategic Defence Review, which will assess the state of the armed forces.
The Ministry of Defence said the review will include “options to enhance domestic security,” which may involve developing a stronger missile defense system. The review will also examine the military’s readiness for war after decades of troop reductions.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on February 25 that from 2027, Britain’s international aid budget would be cut from 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national income to fund increased defense spending.
This is expected to allow the country to reach 2.5% of GDP in defense spending.
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