Beyond bribes and sabotage: building a credible defence against Russia

By Lady Olga Maitland

Russian manipulation of politicians is not new. But it reached new heights when Russians bribed Reform politician Nathan Gill with £40,000 to make pro-Russia statements to the media and the European Parliament while an MEP.

My view is that this is typical ruthless exploitation by the Russians in a propaganda war. I welcome the news that the British government is developing subsea surveillance drones. Not before time. They are an answer to the threat posed to counter the Russian spy fleet in our waters, gathering intelligence from our cables with billions of pounds worth of financial transactions, and cutting them when it suits (as in the Scottish islands breaking internet connection).

My only hope that our subsea drone fleet will be expanded fast and furiously to be really effective.The US Russian Peace Plan is designed to lead to Kyiv's capitulation. I note the comment by the former Sec. Gen. NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen who said, 'My own experience taught me a simple and unforgiving truth. When Russia wants territory, it does not back down unless confronted by firm, united and credible resistance. Any peace plan that ignores this fact is fantasy'.

My own view this is as much a challenge to European cohesion and willingness to demonstrate more active military support, as President Zelensky has to navigate a difficult path. The outcome will affect us all.

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There is no better example of the Russian threat than the  arrival of the Russian spy ship Yantar in Scottish waters this week.  This is not the first time this spyship has entered our waters.  What made this incident different was the lasers directed by the Yantar at the RAF planes monitoring the vessel, an escalation described by the Defence Secretary John Healey as 'deeply dangerous’.  

These are not isolated events. The Yantar has been regularly surveying our undersea cables that carry vital data, and the pipelines supplying gas from Norway.

Undersea cables connecting the Faroe, Orkney, and Shetland islands were cut twice in 2025 and once in 2022.  So far, the UK, as indeed the rest of Europe, has been muted in its response.

 I would like to know what steps the Government is taking to stop these very serious attacks.