A British intelligence chief has warned Russian spies could soon launch a fresh wave of drones at military HQs across the UK in a bid to cause mayhem – amid alarm over sightings worldwide
A British intelligence official has claimed that drone sightings near military bases across the world have ‘all the hallmarks’ of Russian spies, who could soon coordinate attacks on sensitive UK military infrastructure and industrial sites.
Amid heightened tensions between Moscow and NATO, a number of unidentified drones were spotted over three US airbases in Britain last month. About 60 RAF personnel have been sent to assist the US Air Force in its investigation, according to the BBC.
The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were spotted over RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, as well as RAF Feltwell in Norfolk, over several days.
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The mysterious drone sightings have not been officially identified, and some like Uri Geller suspect the cause may be extra-terrestrial, but intelligence analysts from both the US and UK believe Vladimir Putin is to blame.
Philip Ingram, a former British military intelligence Colonel, suggested the drones bear ‘all the hallmarks’ of a covert operation by Russia’s secretive GRU spy agency.
“It’s a distinct possibility if not a certain probability this is all down to Russian intelligence,” he stated. “They and the GRU are just a bunch of petulant little boys.
“They’re trying to suggest they have the ability to disrupt and influence through a level of nuisance action.”
Col Ingram believes something “more sinister” may come from Russia. He suggested UAVs could be used to test the response and capabilities of Western forces as a means to boost Russian leader Putin’s ego following his failures in Ukraine.
NATO chief Mark Rutte meanwhile has urged member states to “turbocharge” defence spending as he claimed “we are not ready for what is coming”. NATO members agreed to spend 2% of GDP on defence but Mr Rutte said this needs to increase to more than 3%. The UK currently spends 2.3% on defence compared to Russia’s 6%.
Col Ingram also proposed these drone incidents are part of a larger pattern of small, seemingly isolated events designed to test Britain’s civil defence capabilities , including cyber attacks by hackers, sabotage of underwater internet cables, and bomb scares causing havoc at Gatwick and central London.
In response to this growing threat, Britain has unveiled its latest weapon against drones – a high-powered laser capable of burning the devices out of the sky within seconds, reports Mail Online. The powerful device, mounted on a Wolfhound armoured vehicle, was successfully tested at the Radnor Range in mid-Wales.
Meanwhile civilians are expected to be ‘prepared’ in case war breaks out. A damning report from the House of Lords reviewed international tensions that could potentially cause a third world war.
The Armed Forces “lack the mass, resilience, and internal coherence necessary to maintain a deterrent effect and respond effectively to prolonged and high-intensity warfare,” claims the report.
Other drones have been allegedly sighted in Manchester. Mark Christopher Lee has investigatied recent ‘drone’ sightings at military bases in the UK, in particular the alleged UFO sighting at Manchester Airport.
The Pentagon has responded to allegations that the drones seen over New Jersey are Iranian.
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