The UK Cabinet Office has been instructed to accelerate planning for the home defence programme, according to reports. The scheme aims to unite civilian and military preparations for emergencies and follows Russia's threats of retaliation against Britain for supporting Ukraine in the conflict that has now stretched beyond four years.
War book and public guidance
The programme encompasses plans for the "war book", the framework designed to prepare the nation for crisis and warfare, The Telegraph reports. This development coincides with reports suggesting Britons will shortly receive guidance on preparing for extreme weather incidents or missile strikes, as the government looks to inform citizens about potential attacks from hostile nations.
Advice to be issued to the public will allegedly include building up supplies of food and bottled water.
Accelerated timeline
The Telegraph revealed that sources indicated certain aspects of the homeland defence preparations have been brought forward from an original target of 2035 to 2030, reports the Mirror.
"We do need to accelerate preparedness in a range of threat areas, which means in the next few years, not the next decade," a source said.
Sir Keir Starmer stated earlier this year that Moscow might launch an assault "on NATO as soon as 2030". Intelligence services and secretary general Mark Rutte share comparable assessments.
Russia's warnings
Russia warned Britain earlier this month that it would face a "price" following reports that the UK provided drones to Ukraine which had been deployed in strikes deep within Russian territory. Russia's embassy in London branded Britain "an accomplice and co-perpetrator" of the strikes and accused the nation of "deliberately opting for an escalation" in the conflict.
The UK Ministry of Defence responded: "Britain stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and we are committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against Putin's illegal invasion."
"Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this Government to stand against Russian aggression, in Ukraine and against the UK and our allies."
A former senior Russian official warned on Tuesday of the possibility of a "semi-military" response targeting British drone factories backing Ukraine.
Grey zone threats and public advice
Security and defence leaders have cautioned about "grey zone" assaults that fall between peace and war, including cyber strikes on vital infrastructure. Britain has already faced a cyber assault when Iran disabled a British power station for four days.
The episode demonstrated that breaching sensitive facilities is achievable. Authorities plan to roll out an information drive on "national resilience" this autumn, featuring advice on stockpiling food, water and candles.
One source revealed: "We need to be ready for threats to become more possible by 2030."
