Russia ‘significantly more lethal’ now as warning over Putin’s war machine issued

A top UK General warns that a ‘significantly more lethal’ Russia poses a major threat, while Britain’s depleted military is unready for a potential conflict

A British military chief has warned that Vladimir Putin’s battle-hardened army has transformed into a “formidable foe” and is “significantly more lethal” now than when the invasion of Ukraine began. Lt Gen Mike Elviss, commander of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), fears the public is blind to the sheer scale of the Kremlin threat, unlike the frontline nations sharing a border with Russia.

The chilling wake-up call comes as defence sources confirmed the UK’s entire drone stockpile would be wiped out in less than a week if a conflict with Russia erupted.

Lt Gen Elviss admitted that NATO is currently unequipped to repel a Russian cross-border incursion, though he noted Moscow is not yet in a position to launch one.

Following a massive overhaul last month, the combat power of the British Army fell under ARRC command at its Gloucester headquarters, positioning Lt Gen Elviss as the UK’s de facto military boss.

Speaking to the Telegraph, he said: “I have the lion’s share of the fighting force under command bar those small elements such as special forces.”

To adapt to modern warfare, the General has deployed military planners to a secret bunker inside disused London Underground tunnels to simulate a blast-proof command centre.

He explained that World War II-style subterranean bunkers must replace vulnerable, traditional setups. Elviss warned that “housed in a sea of tents,” traditional bases are now a “prime target for missiles and drones.”

Analysing how Ukraine has survived against the odds, the General stressed that high-tech adaptation is no longer optional. He said: “You need artificial intelligence in your decision-making if you’re going to decide and act faster than an adversary.”

While Russia is not currently prepared to push further west, Elviss insists the West must take the Kremlin’s public threats at face value.

He said: ” Vladimir Putin has always coveted Kyiv. He said as much. He invaded. He said the same about other places. We have to be worst case planners in the military.”

He noted that while nations like Sweden, Finland and Estonia are “really clear eyed” about the danger, the UK could “ill afford” to lose the “race to reorientate” once the war in Ukraine concludes.

The General warned that the political argument for ramping up defence spending “had not been won” in the British public’s psyche. Insiders have continuously warned that the UK’s depleted armed forces are so chronically ill-equipped they would struggle to defend British soil.

The UK currently spends just 2.6% of GDP on defence, with political promises to reach 3%Poland leads the charge, spending a massive 4.48% of its GDP, while Lithuania allocates four per cent of GDP to counter the eastern threat.

Despite last year’s Strategic Defence Review highlighting the urgent and immediate threat posed by Russia, detailed plans to inject emergency resources into the British military have yet to materialise.

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