Russian hostile activity costs the UK at least £2 billion annually, according to a recent report by Scottish MP Graeme Downie, who has called on the government to measure what these actions cost Britain. But this figure is just the baseline. In reality, a profound shift in Moscow’s approach to sabotage means the true cost is set to climb higher.
While Russia still draws on its cold war target lists, ranging from critical transit nodes and military sites; to energy and communication infrastructure; it has traded highly trained operatives for cheap technology and expendable recruits. The switch to a quantity-over-quality model presents a much more volatile threat.
