Former British service personnel who assist the Russian state can be prosecuted under national security legislation long after leaving the armed forces, the Defence Secretary told the Commons, responding to reports that Western military veterans have been recruited to train Russian personnel.
Johanna Baxter, the Labour MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, raised the matter during Wes Streeting’s first statement in the role on Thursday, citing reporting in the Daily Telegraph the previous day.
Quoting from the article, she told the House that “an assessment compiled for Five Eyes intelligence agencies found, with ‘strong confidence’, that Western military veterans had been recruited to train Russian citizens as well as ‘active duty military’ personnel”, and asked the Defence Secretary to investigate as a matter of urgency and report back.
Streeting declined to discuss intelligence as a matter of policy, but addressed the substance directly. Having spent his first seven weeks in post meeting members of the special forces, he described their capability as truly remarkable, with his only regret being that the country cannot be shown publicly how exceptional they are.
“It is in that spirit that I find it utterly unthinkable and shameful that anyone who has served this country, in whatever capacity, would think it in any way acceptable to support the Russian state as it wages war in Ukraine,” he said.
Such actions are, in his account, “an affront not only to this country and our values, but to the values that underpin the uniform that those who serve in our armed forces wear”, adding that he spoke for the entire armed forces community in saying so.
The National Security Act 2023 gives the intelligence agencies and the police the tools to detect and disrupt threats, he said, and its interpretation section specifies that “‘information’ includes information about tactics, techniques and procedures”.
Crucially, in his words, the Act “is applicable to any individual and extends beyond the period in which personnel are employed by the UK armed forces. Let that be a warning to anyone who has supported, or considers supporting, the Russians as they wage war in Ukraine.”
OT. More smoke and mirrors from HMG, or worse.
This report comes from UKAFC and Gabriele, a consistent and excellent source of orbat news for our military.
Apparently the NISTA Major Projects Report shows GBAD for next decade cut from around 3 billion to 1.5 billion.
No no nooooo, Pollard says, that’s not a cut, the money is still there, just shoved beyond the 10 year scope of the report!
Fabulous.
Given the perilous state of UK GBAD, the lack of assets, the evidence that Russia will throw all sorts of missiles and Drones at NATO, is the Army hopping up and down with glee at the prospect of spending a whole 1.5 Billion OVER 10 YEARS??
What does that actually buy, hardware wise?
As Gabriele says, which I’ll repeat, as it’s apt,
“Are you all clinically insane?”
The answer also contradicts the DIP, which says 3 billion over the next 4 years, not 10.
Which is it?
Pollards second answer, regards mounted SHORAD, so Stormer HVM replacement.
“Current cost estimate exceed available funding.”
No shit….with 150 million to play with a year for ALL Land GBAD.
Patria 6×6 is still apparently “Not the formal solution” just the “preferred solution” despise being reported as such years aho and with Stormer OOS date already pushed back to 2028 by the delays and lack of money.
And no doubt that’ll be delayed as well.
No doubt someone will be along shortly to say what a goid jib HMG are doing, it’s not about number, its all capabilty, it’s all fine and dandy.
Utter, utter shambles.
Of course, when GCAP and DNE needed extra funds the billions are allocated and swallowed, the MIC must be fed, jobs must be maintained.
They’re all the bloody same these people. Words. Beware what they give with one hand to loud fanfare as they tske with the other.
“Of course, when GCAP and DNE needed extra funds the billions are allocated and swallowed, the MIC must be fed, jobs must be maintained.
They’re all the bloody same these people. Words. Beware what they give with one hand to loud fanfare as they tske with the other”
I’m in lockstep with you mate, its pathetic really, although billions extra in real terms is finally ( and reluctantly) ‘very’ slowly being forced into defence, I fear we will see very little in the way of actual equipment.
In a related news feature today, they mentioned that more than 100,000 people today get PIP for ADHD, apparently that’s £10,000 + per person, with thw welfare budget now cripplingthe economy at 11% GDP and growing.
Just 1% of that diverted to defence would be transformative.
I think we can see very clearly what the government’s priorities are.
Votes.
So freebies.
Done.
No evidence that GCAP is over budget at all.
The biggest risk to budgets on that is HMG backsliding.
NDE is a monster that is totally out of control with an effectively uncapped budget.
As with all turf wars they are making hay ATM with the mess that has been created by lack of DD facilities and spares that has reduced SSN availability to comedy levels.
What’s this got to do with the article? What am I missing?
Nothing. He just has to comment on everything that gets posted.
Because he is extremely knowledgeable and reasonable!
I don’t see much difference between the parties,… and your comments don’t make any sense of the article we’re commenting on.
Neither do I.
I critiqued Labour’s time in power 97 to 2010 when the site to do that was DM, Defence Management.
Then the Tories 2010 to 2024 were bad as well.
Through that time we had posters here with red tinted glasses who seemed to conveniently forget the Labour cuts 97 on and blame just the Tories.
Where I blame both for the state we’re in, and still do.
This government have come in, improved recruitment, spending money on infra, all good stuff, while the cuts continue, the spin continues, the rebranding continues, the half truths and deflection continue.
I’ll call them out on it. And the previous rabble who now gravely call for more Defence spending while snuggly in opposition with no responsibility haven’t a leg to stand on either.
So yes, no difference, which is why I don’t vote for either of them.
Cheers. 👍
MoD planners were pre 2010 working to a 2.5% budget. So trying to fit a 2.5% scheme into a 1.9% budget – DNE lead to a total mess.
The planners were then working on the budget uplift curve that stated when Doris @ No10 was in charge. Rishi then flattened that off. So more mess as the headroom collapsed.
Planners then started working on the lasted SD….whatever nonsense that was not funded.
The thing isn’t rose tinted glasses at MoD it is how long it takes to contract, spend money it is like manoeuvring an oil tanker. It take a lot of time to change direction and you have to start the manoeuvres in adavnace of where you need to be which requires long term budget assumptions.
Sigh! The Labour Government is also making best effort at prosecuting NI vets, who were working on behalf of that Government!
Ah, that would be it, then. Actually he can be, which is why I’m bemused by this post.
👋
Shall I not, to please you?
Or are we all on rations on how much one is allowed to say?
Yes one comment a day only to help manage addiction issues… you’re such an addict.
Well, if the boss prescribes it…😏….till then, posters are at liberty to scroll on by.
Maybe get me banned for “posting too much” or maybe just a bit offended that I happen to have a bit of SM knowledge?
Either way, not my problem.
I’m a UKDJ addict and my name is Daniele… today was a hard day I posted 5 times… I just could not resist the GBAD articles….
We are with Daniele…
😆 Was just posting on the new CAUS article, what clinics can I attend? UKDJ anonymous?
Maybe we can have a special page set up where we can post our transgressions.
“Today I posted 11 times and my wife gave me a filthy look.. “
😆
I know your wife has been giving you looks since the Russia Ukraine War started, and your nose started twitching with the prepping!
I remember you saying. 😅
Forgive me, father…..for I have sinned.
Might look at “it’s a sin” by the Pet Shop Boys to see if I can somehow UKDJ it….
Fancy looking though the last two dozen articles to see ones where I didn’t post anything at all, as I either had no knowledge on the subject matter or nothing of value to contribute?
Or, is posting lots a crime?
Shall we ask George?
Put this one to bed straight away?
I wouldn’t give it the airtime never mind headspace TBH.
George needs reasoned relevant conversations by people with knowledge to make the site authoritative.
Nothing at all, Wyn, which is why i preface it with an OT.
This is a Defence website, if there’s something I feel needs publishing that UKDJ might not have seen or heard I’ll mention it.
When George tells me to stop and remain 100% on article subject, I will.
Till then.
Fair enough… but being a Vicar OT means Old Testament!!! What does OT mean.. “Off Track?” The thing I hang on to is that I don’t think the politicians are being dishonest so much as the treasury arguments are not settled and the military picture is rapidly changing and evolving… basically anything they say is out of dates 6 hours later…. Very few – if any – have a complete grasp of what’s going on, which is scary in itself, but thats no a failure… just an inevitable consequence of high speed change. Things are being cut… but there’s obviously a lot of money being spent of new technology, and a lot of that we will not be told about, which is not what a society that expects to know everything and everything as it happens, wants to hear.
Of course there are one or two folk on here who do have a perfect grasp of everything, it’s so sad they aren’t senior officers or politicians. We’d all sleep better knowing we were being defended by hundreds of thousands of soldiers with beyonettes fixed and spherical hand grenades with long fizzing fuses.
My experience from various walks of life (I’ve done a bit more than Vicaring!) is that the private soldier, the machine operators, the school handyman, the junior office clerks, always know how to run the unit, business, factory, school and office better than anyone else. Of course they do.
Hi Wyn.
Apologies, we use OT here for “off topic”!
Still Defence, just not the bit of Defence the article is considering.
At least it was Defence related, you should see the politics rows over the years here and lately climate change.
A Vicar! Well done you, that’s admirable.
The military have a Chaplins branch.
I thought abuot being a chaplain in the RAF but I remembered my ATC cadet days – I would have been court-marshalled for insubordination! I have a couple of young colleagues who have both just become army chaplains – both women as it happens – I’m, so proud of them, One regular and the other TA. (Actually I wanted to fly but the RAF discovered my duff hearing!)
I also had a colleague who became a Navy chaplain and was assigned to 6 boats in the Gulf (6!) (1990s) and got back late to port to find they’d sailed. The Navy drove him up to the next port. He was famous in the Service after that! “Has anybody seen my ship” (wartime song by Noel Coward)… oh I’m getting old…
Remind me what happened with Gabriels predictions of a UK Ares based IFV brigade?
Not so excellent a source, just a broke clock that is occasionally right.
Hi Dern.
Yes, whenever I mention UKAFC I recall you’re not a fan.
I still learn plenty from his orbat details.
Broken clock.
A bit harsh?
However, this should also extend to helping Chinese pilots and other Chinese military and NATO should be brought together to discuss the China issue and trained nationals helping the Chinese – it just should not happen.
Veterans who helped the UK are being prosecuted! No difference under this Government! Shit lizards!
They are helping the enemy, surely? Russian is our No1 threat, I’m told.
The current Labour party are our No 1 threat, as with them in charge they are allowing others to see how weak, unprepared and dishonest about defence we are!
Let’s be honest they have all done that for about the Last 16 years.. as for training Russians.. that’s beyond the pall, Russia is out avowed enemy… as far as I’m concerned you can go off and use your skills anyway ( even china ) but as soon as your working for an avowed enemy of our nation, you can hand in your passport on the way out.
Also lets be honest: Not prosecuting soldiers for war crimes is what Russia does. Frankly if our guys did a Bucha they should be tried.