The MI6 chief has warned that Russia is deliberately dragging out the Ukraine war using hybrid tactics. This strategy tests Western resolve and complicates diplomatic efforts for peace.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is deliberately dragging out negotiations to end the war in Ukraine while probing the West with actions designed to stay just short of open conflict, the head of Britain’s MI6 spy agency warned in her first public speech.
Blaise Metreweli, who became chief of the United Kingdom’s foreign intelligence service two months ago, said President Vladimir Putin remains focused on subjugating Ukraine and harassing Nato members, even as diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting intensify. Speaking in her first public address as MI6 chief, Metreweli said the world is now operating “in a space between peace and war,” according to the Associated Press.
Metreweli accused Moscow of pursuing a broad campaign of hybrid warfare, including cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, drone incursions near European airports, arson, sabotage, disinformation campaigns and aggressive activity at sea.
“The export of chaos is a feature, not a bug, in this Russian approach,” she said, adding that such actions are likely to continue until Putin is forced to rethink his strategy, the AP reported.
She said Russia is deliberately operating in the “gray zone,” using tactics that test Western resolve while avoiding a direct military confrontation.
The warning came as diplomatic activity around the Ukraine war gathered pace. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met US envoys in Berlin on Monday and was due to hold talks with leaders from Germany, France and Britain as Kyiv faces pressure to consider a US-brokered peace proposal.
Metreweli said Putin is “dragging out negotiations” while keeping pressure on Ukraine and its allies, even as talks continue.
TECHNOLOGY AND INTELLIGENCE ON THE FRONT LINE
Metreweli, 48, is the first woman to lead MI6 in its 116-year history. Speaking inside the agency’s London headquarters, she said modern conflict is being reshaped by fast-moving technology and hybrid threats, with no clear front line.
“The front line is everywhere,” she said, stressing that intelligence officers must be as skilled in coding and artificial intelligence as they are in traditional espionage, according to the Associated Press.
She warned that disinformation is increasingly being used to undermine trust within societies, calling it a growing threat to democratic systems.
Metreweli’s remarks are the latest in a series of warnings from Western security officials about the rising threat posed by Russia and other adversaries using cyber tools, espionage and influence operations.
Last week, Britain imposed sanctions on Russian media outlets accused of information warfare, as well as Chinese technology firms linked to cyber activities.
In a separate address, Britain’s top military officer echoed the warning. Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton said President Vladimir Putin is seeking to “challenge, limit, divide and ultimately destroy Nato”.
Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, Knighton said the war in Ukraine shows that Putin’s ambitions threaten the entire alliance, including the UK, and called for a stronger military and more resilient infrastructure.
“Our objective must be to avoid war,” he said, “but the price of maintaining peace is rising”.
With inputs from Associated Press
