Intelligence leaders fear that Birmingham could be attacked by Russian drones capable of dropping bombs during the Commonwealth Games. The high-profile event will kick off in the city next month with a full program of public events and has been dubbed the “perfect target opportunity”.
It is feared that UK support for Ukraine since the invasion of Russia could turn the event into a target. Concern has also been raised about the possible use of a nerve agent in the city.
Security officials fear up to 50 of Vladimir Putin’s spies are active in the UK. A source told The Mirror: “There is a risk that Russia will try to disrupt the Games, which range from a drone attack to the use of a nerve agent.
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“The Commonwealth Games are a high-profile event with a global audience and the Kremlin could easily take advantage. It’s easy to see how Putin wants to punish the UK for supplying weapons to Ukraine.”
About 5,000 athletes from up to 72 nations are expected to compete in venues across Birmingham and the West Midlands at the Games, which will be held from July 28 to August 8. There are already plans to fight the air threat.
Well-placed sources told Sunday People that specialized troops will use drone systems designed to capture, destroy or prevent drones from flying. An intelligence official described the use of drone counter technology to protect an important public event as “unprecedented.”
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And as a result of the potential threat, the Ministry of Defense has revealed that up to 1,000 members of the armed forces, including bomb disposal officers, special forces and snipers, will be deployed under the code name Operation Unit. Armed covert experts from the Special Reconnaissance Regiment will mingle with crowds at venues such as Alexander Stadium with a capacity for 18,000 spectators at the Games.
Troops will be equipped with items such as attack drones, lasers and weapons to interrupt the radio and GPS signals of other ships. One of the systems used would be the SkyWall Patrol, a drone receiver that fires a network similar to a network that crashes the enemy vessel.
Other devices prevent radio waves from reaching the drone by forcing it to land.
Lieutenant Colonel Philip Ingram, a former NATO military intelligence officer and planner, said: “The Commonwealth Games offer a potential opportunity for Russia to try to disrupt what is happening because of UK support for Ukraine. A potential threat is the use of drones by Russia, terrorists or the wrong members of the public.
“The Russians have a history, using the covert elements of Russian military intelligence, of doing this, but it is clearly possible that they may use cyber attacks and misinformation to try to disrupt the games. The blockade during the pandemic has led to very little visible terrorist activity, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone. “
He added: “Terrorist groups have continued to recruit, prepare, encourage and provide resources to potential attackers, and the locations accessible to the public of the Games offer a perfect opportunity for the target.”
Meanwhile, there are concerns about the widespread activities of dozens of Russian spies active in all areas of British society, including universities, the civil service and the commons. An intelligence source said: “They collect all forms of intelligence and transmit it to the Kremlin through a series of manipulators.” That could be anything from the type of weapons and how many are sent to Ukraine to the sexual crossings of the country’s political and military leaders. ” Last week, an alleged Russian spy was arrested in Gatwick about to board a plane. The 40-year-old man is still being held. An Interior Ministry spokesman said: “The actions of the Russian state pose an acute and direct threat to the national security of the United Kingdom. But we have made great strides in recent years to counter the threat it poses. and to increase our resilience and that of our allies in Russia’s malicious activity. ” the full range of threats from the current state.
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