UK needs conscription 'now' as war with Russia looms 'in next five years'
The UK is sleepwalking into a shadow war with Russia, a defence expert has warned (Image: Getty)The UK is sleepwalking into a shadow war with Russia, a defence expert has warned, as fears grow that cyber attacks, sabotage and economic disruption could hit the UK within years. Speaking to the Express, Tobias Ellwood, a former Tory MP, issued a stark warning that Britain could ‘easily be at war with Russia in the next five years’.The defence expert pointed out that across Europe, several countries are reconsidering national service or have reinstated it in response to heightened security concerns around Russia’s actions. He says this in itself is “a deterrent” but the UK, who has no requirement or plan to introduce conscription, is in a “naive place”. The focus for now in Britain is on volunteers, reserves and initiatives to bolster defence capacity.Britain could ‘easily be at war with Russia in the next five years’ (Image: Getty)Calling on Brits to bolster their stockpiles Mr Ellwood believes Britain has failed to acknowledge that Russia is already engaged in a grey-zone conflict with us.Mr Ellwood said: "We are still in a naive place because we have failed to admit that Russia is already in a grayzone war with us."We are vulnerable as a society in terms of our national infrastructure, cybersecurity, cyber attacks, and disinformation. We need people ready to bolster stockpiles of artillery shells and things like that."Countries like Finland have people ready to be called up at a moment's notice, and that in itself is a deterrent because Russia knows that they have a small army, but at a moment can mobilise a powerful capability."Britain is in a 'naive place' (Image: PA)Several European countries still operate conscription, particularly those close to Russia. Finland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia all require military service for men, with women able to volunteer, as part of their national defence strategy.Sweden and Norway also have selective, gender-neutral conscription, while Austria, Greece and Cyprus maintain mandatory service for men.Mr Ellwood says the threat he envisages is Russia targeting key infrastructure, including Heathrow Airport, the country’s busiest airport.He said: "I think in the next 5 years, easily, we will be at war with Russia. A lot of this will be a grayzone war with skirmishes and incidents at sea. A lot of this will be economic sabotage to cause hardship in the UK. “Drone attacks, espionage, sabotage of our railways. Heathrow Airport going down for a couple of days. This is the kind of thing it will be."The defence expert believes Russia could target key infrastructure, including Heathrow Airport (Image: Getty)UK Defence Secretary John Healey previously announced a "gap year" scheme to give under-25s experience in the armed forces, which he described as part of a "new era for defence".The programme is set to launch in March 2026 for under-25s, initially taking on around 150 young people for placements lasting up to two years, before scaling up to more than 1,000 participants annually. Get More of Our News on GoogleSet Daily Express as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value. It would operate as a paid gap-year style scheme, although pay levels have yet to be confirmed, and participants would not be deployed on active operations.The proposed changes mean reservists and strategic reservists could be at the forefront of those in line to be recruited under new conscription plans.
