Europe braces itself for possible attack by Russia

US and British troops on a joint exercise near Grafenwöhr, Germany in 2016.
MATEJ DIVIZNA/GETTY IMAGES

Britain to keep military forces in Germany to respond more quickly if Russia were to attack Europe



The head of the British Army and chief of the general staff, General Sir Nick Carter has warned in a speech at the Royal United Services Institute think tank in London that hostilities could break out between Europe and Russia at any time.  He said that the Russians could challenge Britain and its Nato allies “sooner than we expect”.  He drew on the centenary of the First World War to say that Britain must “be prepared to fight the war we might have to fight”.

He said the clear threat posed by Russia’s military capability and intent was a “clear and present danger”.

In recent times Vladimir Putin has increased 12-fold his ability to launch long-range missiles, able to hit a target up to 4,000km away from land, sea and air.  Russia also has the capability to create “mobile missile domes” which would protect its forces from attack and prevent Britain and its Nato allies from moving freely.

In order to drive home the point he was making, Sir Nick played a Russian military propaganda video to an audience of defence experts, academics and defence correspondents.  He called the clip, available on YouTube, “information warfare at its best”, but said that images of planes, tanks, ships and submarines amounted to an “eye-watering” level of capability.