Britain ‘not ready to defend military attack’ despite WW3 fears and Russia threat

Brits have been warned to prepare for World War Three in chilling statements in recent weeks, now a bombshell report claims the country is not ready to defend itself from a military attack

The UK is “not ready” to defend itself from a military attack amid growing fears of Vladimir Putin plans to invade European countries, the chair of the Parliament defence committee has warned.

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi warns Britain “lacks a plan for defending the homeland and overseas territories” in a bombshell report. He said the UK “cannot afford to bury our heads” amid Mad Vlad’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and repeated incursions into European airspace.

It comes as NATO secretary general Mark Rutte warned allies this month that “conflict is at our door”, Russia saying it is “ready for war” with Europe and Donald Trump growing increasingly hostile towards European leaders.

The British government is developing a “home defence programme, “which it said was a “whole of society approach to deterrence and defense”.

But Labour MP Dhesi warned: “We are not ready — firstly in terms of resisting an armed attack, but also in terms of the wider threats.”

He told the New York Times: “The home defence programme is moving at a glacial pace.”

In a report published last month, the Defence Committee said Britain may be “failing to meet our NATO Article 3 obligations to maintain and develop individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack.”

The report highlighted an “over-reliance on the US” and urged the British government to assess where the UK can lead in terms of replacing American capabilities if they are withdrawn.

It also called for the British government to engage with the EU and European allies on the threat posed by Russia and its enablers.

Mr Dhesi said at the time: “Accelerating the speed of industrial change is essential, and readiness must be at the top of this Government’s agenda.

“We have repeatedly heard concerns about the UK’s ability to defend itself from attack. Government must be willing to grasp the nettle and prioritise homeland defence and resilience.”

The government is working to recruit more volunteer reservists to undergo training in the army, navy or air force. It is also increasing training and recruitment for the “strategic reserve”, which includes former military personnel who can be recalled to active service.

Britain’s regular army has shrunk to around 70,000 full-time trained soldiers — the fewest since the start of the Napoleonic Wars — and protecting the homeland is also expected to extend beyond the military.

The police have joined exercises such as a simulated chemical attack in a rural Cambridgeshire village last month.

Mark Williams, the national police leader for civil contingencies, said police forces were evaluating how officers would support the military “if the worst was to happen”, including breakout of war, drone attacks and power outages.

He said: “We need to start to consider how we prepare society for potential conflict, either abroad or at home”

Reports recently emerged of US intelligence sources warning that Putin has not abandoned his aims of capturing all of Ukraine and reclaiming parts of Europe that belonged to the former Soviet empire, despite Donald Trump saying the despot wants peace.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow on Monday: “This is absolutely not true.”

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