Britain to unleash army of cyber hackers to take on Putin

Britain’s military is to escalate its defensive and offensive cyber capabilities with an investment of over £1 billion into artificial intelligence and a dedicated hacking attack team.

This ambitious push, revealed by UK Defence Secretary John Healey, aims to confront hostile states, primarily Vladimir Putin’s Russia, as he starkly warned that “the keyboard has become a weapon of war,” writes The Telegraph.

These enhanced offensive operations will be spearheaded by a newly established Cyber and Electromagnetic Command. This command unit, set to be formally unveiled in the Government’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) on Monday, will also oversee the £1 billion investment.

A key focus of this funding is the development of upgraded targeting systems using an artificial intelligence “kill web” designed to seamlessly connect military systems for faster decision-making on the battlefield.

Defence Secretary John Healey personnel at MoD Corsham. MoD Crown Copyright.

Speaking from MoD Corsham, the UK’s military cyber HQ, Mr. Healey made the government’s most explicit confirmation yet of Britain’s intent to conduct offensive hacks. When directly questioned about increasing the capability to attack enemy states like Russia and China, he stated: “Yes. The Cyber Command is part of removing duplication, setting new standards, giving new authority behind defensive and offensive cyber.”

He stressed the urgency, noting: “We are under daily attack, increasing attacks, and this is the nerve centre of the UK’s military that helps us defend against these attacks.”

The escalation comes amidst a “continual and intensifying” level of cyber warfare. The Ministry of Defence has faced an alarming 90,000 cyberattacks in the last two years alone, doubling the number recorded in 2023, with hostile states including Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea identified as perpetrators.

Mr. Healey highlighted lessons from the war in Ukraine, where “those that prevail will be those who are not just better equipped and better trained, but better connected and also capable of innovating ahead of adversaries.”

The new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command will co-ordinate offensive cyber capabilities with the existing National Cyber Force, a joint venture between GCHQ and the MoD that has conducted hacking operations for the past five years.

This integrated approach aims to “fight enemies on the web and lead defensive operations,” ensuring that the UK’s military can “act at speeds never seen before – connecting ships, aircraft, tanks and operators so they can share vital information instantly and strike further and faster.”

The £1 billion investment will specifically bring a Digital Targeting Web, colloquially known as a “kill web,” into action by 2027, leveraging AI to enhance the responsiveness of all three forces.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/29/britain-to-unleash-army-of-hackers-on-putin-ai/