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Russia has lost nearly 500,000 troops killed in the war against Ukraine, while simultaneously intensifying hybrid attacks against the UK and EU, including operations targeting cyberspace, logistics and critical infrastructure.
The warning came from GCHQ chief Anne Keast-Butler, according to The Guardian.
GCHQ, one of Britain’s main intelligence agencies specializing in signals intelligence and cybersecurity, rarely discloses such estimates publicly. Keast-Butler stated that “Putin is failing on the battlefield in Ukraine” and that almost half a million Russian soldiers have been killed since the start of the war.
The publication noted that this is the first time a senior British official has publicly revealed the UK’s assessment of Russian battlefield losses during the fifth year of the full-scale invasion.
At the same time, Keast-Butler warned that Moscow is expanding its aggression into Europe’s “gray zone” through sabotage, cyberattacks and covert operations aimed at undermining democratic institutions and public trust.
According to her, Russia is targeting undersea infrastructure, supply chains and digital networks, while also attempting to smuggle restricted Western technologies into the country.
“We are disrupting Russia’s efforts to evade sanctions, defending against cyberattacks, and countering reckless sabotage and assassination plots,” she said.
The comments follow a series of warnings from British and European security officials that Russia is increasingly relying on hybrid warfare tactics beyond Ukraine.
Earlier, MI6 chief Blaise Metreweli accused Moscow of “testing” Britain through sabotage, drone incursions and cyber operations, while UK defense officials warned that Russia’s broader goal remains weakening and dividing NATO.
European officials have also linked Russia to a growing number of destabilization incidents across the continent, including attacks on transport and infrastructure routes connected to military aid deliveries to Ukraine.
