Russia Targets UK with Covert Attacks: From Drone Incursions to Proxy Sabotage Fires

In the shadowy realm of hybrid warfare, Russia has intensified its covert attacks on the UK, deploying drone incursions and proxy sabotage to unsettle Western resolve. From mysterious fires at aid warehouses to laser assaults on RAF pilots, these grey zone tactics blur the line between peace and conflict, raising alarms about Russian espionage in Britain.

As cyber disruptions and satellite jamming escalate, questions mount over how far Vladimir Putin will push this undeclared war.

The Drone Menace

Mysterious drones first appeared near RAF bases in Suffolk, Norfolk, and Gloucestershire in November 2023. Three individuals with ties to Russian military sites had lodged nearby, prompting suspicions of reconnaissance missions.

By November 2025, similar incursions breached no-fly zones near Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's flight path to Dublin, launched from cargo ships in the Irish Sea.

The Russian spy ship Yantar, entering UK waters in January 2025 and returning in November, stands accused of deploying these drones near undersea cables. Such acts signal a calculated probe of British defences.

Proxy Sabotage: Fires and Arson

In March 2024, flames engulfed industrial units in Leyton, east London, housing aid for Ukraine. British men, acting for the Russian state, ignited the blaze; by 8 July 2025, three faced conviction for arson linked to the Wagner group, proscribed as terrorists in the UK. Then, on 31 August 2025, a cyber attack halted Jaguar Land Rover production across factories in the UK, Brazil, India, and Slovakia for five weeks, costing £1.9 billion ($2.54 billion).

A ransomware strike on 20 September 2025 crippled Heathrow's boarding systems, causing widespread delays. These incidents echo a pattern seen across Europe – 11 hybrid attacks in the first half of 2025 alone. As X user NEXTA observed in a post: 'In Swindon, nothing is clear yet — but there is already talk that it was a Russian sabotage and that weapons intended for Ukraine exploded in the warehouses.'

Here the picture darkens: local criminals, recruited via Telegram, execute Moscow's bids, from arson to disruption, evading direct attribution.

Cyber and Space Intrusions

Russia jams British military satellites weekly, orbiting close to collect data. Maj Gen Paul Tedman, head of UK Space Command, remarked: 'We're seeing our satellites being jammed by the Russians on a reasonably persistent basis.' Pro-Russian hackers, like NoName057(16), claimed attacks on UK websites in May 2025, though impacts remained limited.

The Yantar shone lasers at RAF pilots on 19 November 2025, a hazardous escalation. Meanwhile, a TikTok video from Channel 4 News highlighted drone disruptions at European airports, questioning Russian involvement in these covert operations.

Six Bulgarians received jail terms on 12 May 2025 for spying for Russia, driven by cash rewards. Howard Phillips from Essex earned seven years on 7 November 2025 for aiding undercover agents. MI5's Ken McCallum noted: 'In the last year, we and the police have disrupted a steady stream of surveillance plots with hostile intent – aimed at individuals Russian leaders perceive as their enemies.'

Yet attribution lags; plenty of destruction may trace to Russia, but proof emerges slowly – recall the 2018 Salisbury Novichok inquiry concluding only recently. So what now? These incursions test NATO's thresholds, leaving the UK vigilant but wary of overreaction – a quiet escalation, to put it mildly.