Russian Hybrid Warfare Costs Britain at Least £2–2.5 Billion a Year
Russian sabotage and other hostile activity cost the British economy at least two to two and a half billion pounds annually, according to a parliamentary group paper. Its authors say the true figure is probably considerably higher.
Russian sabotage and other hostile actions cost the UK economy at least £2–2.5 billion a year (roughly €2.4–3 billion), according to a parliamentary group document cited by the Financial Times.
The report, titled "Putin's Taxes", was prepared by Graham Downie, vice-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on armaments. It calculates the costs of dealing with the consequences of Russia's hybrid war against Britain and of investing in greater resilience.
What the total includes
The overall sum contains average annual losses of £400–500 million, calculated from major incidents since 2022, including attacks on Jaguar Land Rover, Royal Mail and suppliers to the National Health Service (NHS).
It also counts £1.47 billion in losses from Russia-linked cyberattacks, plus £250–500 million in losses from damage to undersea communication cables and related infrastructure.
Gaps in the data
The authors stress that the actual figure is most likely significantly higher. They say shortcomings in the data published by the government make it hard to calculate accurately what the Moscow-linked hybrid war costs.
The report adds that Britain has no coordinated framework for assessing the economic impact of hostile states' activities, and that the costs of many serious incidents remain uncalculated. As a result, neither MPs nor the public have a clear picture of the financial consequences.
