London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Britain strikes back! UK launched SECRET cyber-attacks on Russia says ex-security chief

Britain strikes back! UK launched SECRET cyber-attacks on Russia says ex-security chief

BRITAIN has hit back at Russia using covert cyber attacks in the past few years according to Lord Sedwill, the former cabinet secretary.

The cabinet secretary is the most senior civil servant and is responsible for overseeing the UK’s intelligence services. Speaking on Times Radio Lord Sedwill revealed Britain had used a “series of discreet measures” to hit Russian targets.

He revealed “covert measures” had been part of the British response to the 2018 poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.

Lord Sedwill was asked why Britain’s offensive cyber capabilities have yet to be used against Russia.

He replied: “The fact you don’t see that we use it doesn’t mean that we don’t.

“Russia is operating in what the aficionados call grey space, that gap between normal state relations and armed conflict, with cyberattacks, information warfare and disruption campaigns.


"Russia is operating in what the aficionados call grey space" 


“It is important that we are capable of manoeuvring in the grey space and doing so effectively. We can’t leave the initiative to our adversaries.

“There are some vulnerabilities that we can exploit too. We just don’t always talk about those.

“We seek to impose a price greater than one they might have expected when we believe it is right and necessary.”

On March 4 2018 Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy turned British double agent, and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in Salisbury by a Novichok nerve agent.


"There are some vulnerabilities that we can exploit"


In June two Britons were poisoned nearby with the same substance with one, 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess, later dying.

Then Prime Minister Theresa May blamed the attacks on the Russian state.

Speaking in Parliament she said: “The Government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal.”

Lord Sedwell described the poisoning as a major escalation from Moscow.


Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned in Salisbury on March 4 2018


Emergency services responding to the 2018 Salisbury poisoning


Referring to UK/Russia relations he said: “It does break through from time to time.

“After the Salisbury attack, the first use of chemical weapons against a country in Europe in a century, we retaliated in visible ways.

“We expelled the entire Russian intelligence network in the UK.

“But we also took a series of other discreet measures, including measures tackling some of the illicit money that flows out of Russia, and covert measures, which obviously I can’t talk about as well.”

Britain’s cyber-warfare capabilities are led by the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), based in Cheltenham.

The UK has only publicly admitted to using its offensive cyber-warfare capabilities against the terrorist group ISIS.

According to The Times GCHQ has used malware to disrupt its payments systems and targeted its online activities.


GCHQ is based in Cheltenham


Earlier this week the UK officially blamed Russian military intelligence for cyber-attacks targeting the Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed due to coronavirus.

Britain also joined the EU in imposing a travel ban of FSB director Aleksandr Bortnikov, and a number of other senior Russian officials.

This followed the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×