UK to expand cyberattacks on Russia and China, defence chief confirms

Britain is preparing to escalate its offensive cyber operations against hostile states such as Russia and China, Defence Secretary John Healey has revealed ahead of the UK’s new strategic defence review, set for release next week.

Speaking during a visit to the Ministry of Defence’s cyber command in Corsham, Wiltshire, Healey confirmed the UK is already engaged in cyberwarfare, Caliber.Az reports, referring to British media.

He emphasised that the new unified cyber command will oversee both offensive and defensive digital operations, including hacking adversary systems to disrupt attacks and counter propaganda.

This marks the first time a British minister has explicitly acknowledged the intention to launch cyberattacks on other countries. Healey confirmed that the cyber command’s mission includes targeting Russia and China, stating, “The keyboard is now a weapon of war,” and that the UK must bolster its cyber capabilities in response to intensifying threats.

Over the past two years, the MoD has faced 90,000 cyberattacks from state-linked sources—double the number from the previous two years—prompting concerns of a sustained cyber conflict, particularly from Russia.

The upcoming defence review, which has taken nearly a year to complete, will address modern threats, focusing on cyber capabilities, automation, and integration across the Royal Navy, RAF, and British Army. It will highlight how daily cyberattacks are undermining the economy and civilian life. Uniquely, military leaders have been barred from publicly discussing the review prior to its release.

Although past cyber operations against terrorist groups like ISIS have been acknowledged, ministers have until now avoided confirming state-directed cyberattacks. There are concerns that targeting Russia could trigger severe retaliation, but the scale of Russian aggression has led the UK to prioritize pre-emptive measures.

One such effort included a Western intelligence hack of Russia’s social media platform VKontakte early in the Ukraine war, aimed at countering Kremlin disinformation by revealing true casualty numbers and the human cost of the conflict.

The new cyber command, led by General Sir James Hockenhull of UK Strategic Command, will unify digital operations across the armed forces and work with the National Cyber Force—a team of intelligence agents and troops. It will also include an electromagnetic warfare division to combat drone and missile jamming, intercept enemy communications, and disable their control systems.

More than £1 billion will be allocated to developing a “digital targeting web,” a battlefield network enabling troops to access intelligence from satellites and spy aircraft in real-time.

Healey said the Ukraine war has shown that future conflicts will be won by “forces that are better connected, better equipped and innovating faster.” The British military, he added, must be able to operate “at unprecedented speeds,” seamlessly linking land, air, and sea assets to act with maximum efficiency.

In February, the MoD announced plans to fast-track recruits into cyber defence roles to strengthen these capabilities.