Russia threat: New MI6 head Blaise Metreweli warns ‘the front line is everywhere’
MI6’s new head, Blaise Metreweli, will make his first major public speech, warning of the growing threat from Russia and the critical need for spies to master technology to fight increasingly complex dangers.
Ms Metreweli, appointed from the headquarters of Britain’s foreign intelligence service in June, will declare that “the frontline is everywhere”.
He is expected to describe Russia as an “aggressive, expansionist and revisionist” power and outline his view of the global security environment.
He will say: “Putin should not have any doubts, our support is permanent, and the pressure we exert on behalf of Ukraine will continue.
“Exporting chaos is a feature, not a bug, in Russia’s approach to international engagement, and we should be prepared for this to continue until Putin is forced to change his own calculus.”
The spy chief says threats from around the world are becoming increasingly sophisticated, including sabotage, technological disruption and disinformation.
But he will insist that the UK is already trying to use technology to deal with these problems.
“Mastery of technology must permeate everything we do,” Ms. Metreweli will say.
He will add: “Not just in our laboratories, but in the field, in our business skills and, importantly, in the mindset of every officer.
“We must be as comfortable with lines of code as we are with human resources, and we must be fluent in Python as well as many languages.”
The spy chief will also point out how his agency’s work is based on sanctions recently imposed by the State Department on Russian companies and individuals.
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Just last week, Secretary of State Yvette Cooper announced a series of sanctions against organizations linked to Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, and disinformation spread by the Kremlin.
On Monday the head of the British armed forces will warn that the whole country must step up to ensure the country can continue to function in a crisis amid growing threats to Britain.
Chief of the defense staff Sir Richard Knighton, who has argued for a society-wide approach to “defence and deterrence”, will say the situation is “more dangerous than I have known in my career”.
He will urge “people who are not soldiers, sailors or airmen to still invest their skills and money in increasing national resilience.”
