{
  "id": 14194365,
  "title": "MI5 tackling more state threats than during Cold War, warns intelligence chief",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/mi5-tackling-more-state-threats-than-during-cold-war-warns",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-13T12:00:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC News",
    "slug": "bbc-news",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c60rl5vwpk02o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "MI5 is allocating more resources to combating state threats than during the Cold War, according to the agency's chief. Sir Ken McCallum stated that Russia remains the primary aggressor, and noted that operational missions related to terrorism and state threats are now of equal scale due to a quadrupling of threats from foreign adversaries. In his annual speech at MI5's headquarters in London, Sir Ken also cautioned about rising threats from Iran and extreme right-wing terrorism. He revealed that MI5 has apprehended terrorists attempting to exploit AI, including by integrating it with drones. The chief warned that the UK must remain vigilant against the risk of new bioweapons developed by violent groups. Russia is engaging in hybrid warfare while avoiding triggering a NATO response, and has stopped short of conventional conflict, instead attempting to destabilize European countries as its invasion of Ukraine continues to be costly. MI5's success in identifying and expelling Russian spies has left the Kremlin dependent on paying proxies for attacks. Sir Ken emphasized that Russia's traditional covert operations have been significantly diminished by nearly 1,000 expulsions since the invasion, making them a weak global contender. He also warned of Iran's expanding hybrid campaign in the UK, which has resulted in over 50 arrests in the past year, primarily targeting Jewish communities and military sites. The National Security Act, enacted in 2023, has been heavily utilized to counter threats from China, Iran, and Russia. Sir Ken highlighted the agency's success in catching terrorists who sought to exploit AI for reconnaissance and attack methods, with AI-enabled drones adding a new dimension to the threat. The most concerning risk, according to Sir Ken, is extremist groups harnessing AI to create bioweapons, a potential danger that has not yet materialized but has the capacity to alter the stakes of existing or new bioweapons. In April, the UK's terrorism threat level was raised to severe for the first time in five years, indicating a highly likely attack. Islamist groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS continue to direct and inspire attacks, while the heightened risk is also driven significantly by extreme right-wing terrorism. Sir Ken noted that over the past year, the most significant trend has been an increase in cases where extremist versions of anti-immigration and anti-Muslim grievances are tipping into terrorist intent. He warned that extreme right-wing terrorism tends to be young and driven by the internet, with a recent 13-year-old radicalized extremist being investigated, leading to the prevention of a lethal attack on foreign soil.",
  "summary": "Sir Ken McCallum says Russia, Iran and emerging threats from AI were increasing the risks to Britain.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}