London, 15 December (H.S.): Britain's first female MI6 chief, Blaise Metreweli, will caution on Monday of an acute threat from a belligerent Russia wielding hybrid warfare, encompassing cyber incursions and drone provocations near essential infrastructure. In her debut public address since succeeding Sir Richard Moore on October 1, the Secret Intelligence Service leader — a veteran of the agency's covert Q Branch since 1999 — vows sustained pressure on President Vladimir Putin amid the Ukraine conflict.
She urges spies to embrace coding prowess, declaring officers must wield Python as adeptly as foreign tongues or human assets in an era of biometric scrutiny and data dominance.Ms Metreweli's remarks spotlight fresh sanctions against Russian information operatives and China-linked firms for rampant cyber aggression toward the UK and partners, acknowledging economic blows that pivot Moscow's trade to Asia yet fail to blunt its territorial ambitions.
Parallelly, Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Richard Knighton demands a whole of society fortification against escalating dangers, deeming the geopolitical climate the gravest of his career with Russia eyeing NATO's fracture. He advocates mobilising universities, industries, rail systems, and the NHS for deterrence, unveiling £50 million to establish defence technical colleges tackling engineering talent shortfalls.
These pronouncements, delivered to the Royal United Services Institute, amplify continental pushes for national service and fuel UK discourse on collective readiness beyond armed forces expansion, as Western leaders confront a volatile world order.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
