UK Defence Industry Told to Increase Resilience Against Espionage

Last week, it emerged that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) had privately warned UK-based defence executives whose companies supply weapons and drones to Ukraine that they and their employees could face Russian espionage threats. The warning was delivered during a closed-door meeting between senior government officials and defence industry executives this summer, amid concerns over Russian intelligence activity targeting the European defence industry.

The disclosure follows recent warnings that UK defence manufacturers could face more direct forms of hostile activity. On 25 August, former Russian deputy foreign minister Andrei Fedorov suggested that British factories producing drones for Ukraine could be attacked by “unknown sources”, also raising the possibility of cyber attacks whose origins could not immediately be identified. His comments reflect wider concerns over Russia’s use of deniable actors, with MI5 previously warning that Moscow is increasingly turning to private intelligence operatives and criminals to conduct hostile activity.

As UK defence companies become more closely involved in supplying Ukraine and supporting its long-range capabilities, they could become increasingly attractive targets for Russian intelligence and proxy activity. The combination of espionage, cyber intrusion, sabotage and potential threats to personnel reinforces the need for companies supporting Ukraine to strengthen physical, personnel and cyber security against threats that may not be immediately attributable to the Russian state.