London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Sep 13, 2025

Russia is ‘number 1 adversary threat’, UK defence secretary says, citing ‘regular’ sightings of Russian ships & submarines

Russia is ‘number 1 adversary threat’, UK defence secretary says, citing ‘regular’ sightings of Russian ships & submarines

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace touted the UK’s ongoing military build-up while invoking the alleged threat of Russian submarines and ships. Wallace accused Moscow of deliberately targeting Britain with its “operations.”
In an interview with the Telegraph published on Saturday, Wallace praised the new additions to the UK Navy, which he said will put it back on the map as a military powerhouse. In particular, Wallace was referring to the £3 billion aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth which, along with HMS Prince of Wales, is at the core of the UK Carrier Strike Group.

HMS Queen Elizabeth “is already showing that it’s not just an airfield. It is a convener, it is a projection,” Wallace said, adding that the ship is not headed “to Jersey,” but to Japan on its maiden deployment, ostensibly to project UK power overseas. He appeared to refute reports that the vessel would not sail through the Taiwan Strait to avoid angering Beijing. Noting that the route could change, Wallace said the aircraft carrier would go to the disputed South China Sea, the majority of which is claimed by Beijing, as well as to the equally sensitive waters of the East China Sea.

While these types of maneuvers will not go over well with Beijing, the defence secretary singled out Russia as Britain’s “number one adversary threat.” Wallace, as the Telegraph put it, “attacked Russia for ‘regularly’ sending vessels to Britain,” as well as invoked the 2018 Salisbury scandal.

“We have tried de-escalation, we have tried methods, but at the moment until Russia changes its attitude, it’s quite hard to see where we’re going to go. This is a country that killed someone in Salisbury,” Wallace claimed.

Both former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, who the British government claims were injured by a Russian chemical weapon attack in Salisbury, have recovered. A local woman who came into contact with the nerve agent died in the hospital, while her partner was injured and later recovered. Moscow expressed its deep concern about the incident, while firmly rejecting any allegations of involvement.

Moscow, according to Wallace, has launched “a number of operations, [aimed] deliberately at Britain,” though he did not elaborate on how these purportedly sinister operations have compromised national security.

Beating the drums for the need to counter Moscow, Wallace mentioned the alleged sighting of a Russian Kilo-class submarine in the Irish Sea late last year. The alleged appearance of the sub apparently rattled British military chiefs, as Wallace told the Telegraph he had not seen a Russian submarine in the area “for a very, very long time.”

“It might have been for the first,” he said. The British media, however, is known for going into overdrive over reports of alleged Russian subs roaming the waters along the UK coast.

One such “sighting” gripped the attention of the British media in 2015, when it was reported that a suspected Russian submarine almost capsized a fishing trawler in the Irish Sea. Further investigation, however, determined that it was a British submarine that dragged the trawler by its nets.

In June 2016, the British media declared that the Royal Navy intercepted a Russian “attack” submarine after tracking it off the coast. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the passage, noting, however, that the sub had actually surfaced and was travelling with a tugboat to its home base in Crimea with no intention of hiding.

One of the most recent incidents reflecting the growing tensions between Moscow and London involved two Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets circling over a Russian submarine off the coast of Scotland in November last year, although it was travelling in neutral waters.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
×