In a stark warning, the new chief of the UK's Secret Intelligence Service has declared that Britain is operating in a dangerous "space between peace and war" with an aggressive Russia, and that the frontline in this conflict is now "everywhere" – from online spaces to the minds of citizens.
A New Kind of Warfare: Bullying and Manipulation Below the Threshold
In her first major public address on Monday 15 December 2025, Blaise Metreweli, the first female head of MI6, accused the Kremlin of a sustained campaign to "bully, fearmonger and manipulate" the United Kingdom and its allies. She stated that Moscow is deliberately conducting attacks that fall below the threshold of all-out war to destabilise its adversaries.
"We are now operating in a space between peace and war," Metreweli told an audience at the agency's London headquarters. "This is not a temporary state." She emphasised that this evolving conflict, marked by eroding trust and rapid technological change, means the traditional battlefield has dissolved.
"We are being contested from sea to space - from the battlefield to the boardroom. And even our brains as disinformation manipulates our understanding," the spy chief explained.
Russia's 'Grey Zone' Arsenal Targets UK Society
Metreweli detailed a catalogue of "grey zone" hostilities she attributes to the Russian state, designed to sow chaos without triggering a conventional military response. These tactics include:
- Cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure.
- Aggressive maritime and aerial activity, such as drones buzzing airports and spy ships operating near UK waters.
- State-sponsored acts of arson and sabotage on British soil, like the fire at a London warehouse sending aid to Ukraine.
- Propaganda and influence operations that exploit societal divisions.
"The export of chaos is a feature not a bug in this Russian approach," she warned, adding that this campaign will likely continue "until Putin is forced to change his calculus."
Ukraine's Fate is 'Fundamental to Global Security'
Breaking with the tradition of her predecessors to cover multiple threats, Metreweli chose to focus her speech squarely on the menace from Moscow. She condemned Vladimir Putin's "devastating" war in Ukraine, accusing him of "dragging out negotiations" for a peace deal while shifting the cost of the conflict onto the Russian people.
She left no doubt about the strategic importance of the conflict, stating that Kyiv's fate is "fundamental not just to European sovereignty and security but to global security." Her comments come amid efforts by former US President Donald Trump to broker a new peace deal, and align with warnings from Ukrainian commanders that Putin may be using talks as "cover" for further military advances.
The MI6 boss vowed that British support for Ukraine would endure regardless of Moscow's stalling tactics.
A Call to Action: The Public's Role on the 'Everywhere' Frontline
In an unusual move for an intelligence chief, Metreweli outlined a vital role for the British public in countering these diffuse threats. She argued that everyone has a responsibility to understand the new reality.
She suggested that schools should help educate children to spot online disinformation and critically assess news sources. More broadly, she called on society to comprehend that "the frontline is everywhere. Online, on our streets, in our supply chains, in the minds and on the screens of our citizens."
Metreweli also highlighted the shifting landscape of power driven by technology, where control over breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and quantum computing is moving from states to corporations and even influential individuals like Elon Musk.
Concluding, the MI6 chief reaffirmed that her service is adapting to meet these evolving challenges, with its officers working undercover globally to gather secrets. However, her central message was a sobering one: the era of clear boundaries between war and peace is over, and the nation must be vigilant on a battlefield that has no borders.
