British police have reported a sharp increase in life-threatening operations on UK soil linked to Russia, Iran, and China, including attacks and kidnappings carried out by criminal proxies and even teenagers.
Senior officers from the UK’s Counter Terrorism Command revealed that hostile state activity has surged fivefold since the 2017 Novichok poisoning of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal. Authorities say the three nations are increasingly using vulnerable individuals—often paid small sums—to execute covert missions.
“We are increasingly seeing these three states undertaking threat-to-life operations in the United Kingdom,” said Commander Dominic Murphy. He described the scale and complexity of these operations as unprecedented.
Assistant Chief Constable Vicki Evans added that some proxies are minors who may be manipulated online without fully understanding their actions. “We are concerned that they might find themselves in an online environment where they’re encouraged or egged on,” she said.
Recent incidents include an arson attack on Ukraine-linked businesses in London, allegedly ordered by Russia’s Wagner mercenary group. The ringleader had also plotted to kidnap a critic of President Vladimir Putin.
Iran has also been linked to at least 20 plots to kidnap or kill UK-based individuals since 2022, according to MI5. Murphy warned that Iran continues to “sow violence on the streets of the United Kingdom,” relying on criminal networks to carry out its objectives.
All three governments have denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated.
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