MPs warn Grey Zone attacks now threaten all UK citizens

The UK faces an escalating threat from hostile state activities below the threshold of open warfare, a new Defence Committee report has warned, urging a “whole of society” approach to strengthen national resilience.

The cross-party report, Defence in the Grey Zone, published today, argues that grey zone threats—ranging from sabotage and espionage to cyber-attacks and disinformation—are increasing in speed, scale and intensity.

These operations, the Committee says, “bring war to the doorstep of each and every one of us.”

Chair of the Defence Committee, Tan Dhesi MP, said:

“Our adversaries have purposefully blurred the line between peace and war. Grey zone threats pose a particularly insidious challenge – they unsettle the fabric of our day-to-day lives and undermine our ability to respond.”

The Committee is calling for the Ministry of Defence to take a leading role in coordinating with government departments, business, schools and communities to build public awareness and improve long-term resilience. This includes embedding cyber skills in the education system and collaborating with industries to defend against ransomware and digital infrastructure attacks.

“The MOD plays an important part in defending the nation from grey zone attacks, but it is only a part,” said Dhesi. “These attacks do not discriminate; they target the whole of our society and so demand a whole of society response, in which we all must play our part.”

One of the report’s central recommendations is the appointment of a dedicated minister for homeland security to coordinate government-wide responses to grey zone threats.

The report also emphasises the growing role of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), particularly in deterring Russian activity in the Baltic and High North. It recommends:

• Reinforcing Royal Navy ships, including the future Type 83 destroyers, to enable sustained operations in Arctic conditions.
• Increasing the permanent presence of the JEF in the Baltic Sea to respond to sabotage threats against undersea cables and protect vital troop shipping lanes.
• Enhancing deployable capabilities to monitor and defend seabed infrastructure.

“We must now assume that any vulnerability will be exploited against us,” Dhesi warned. “The industries and technologies we rely on most are clear targets for hostile states. This is why we are calling for a shoring up of our digital and cyber skills and protections.”

The report positions the grey zone not as a niche security issue, but as a defining feature of modern conflict, one that requires the full engagement of British society to confront.