Britain at war with Russia? The chances of that becoming a reality remain slim right now, yet a brand-new podcast series titled The Wargame reveals what would really go down if these two nuclear-powered nations locked horns.
Devised by Sky News security and defence editor Deborah Haynes and co-produced by Tortoise Media, this high-intensity dramatisation is based on where the UK finds itself defensively after decades of cost-cutting in the wake of the Soviet Union’s fragmentation 34 years ago.
The timing couldn’t be more perfect, with NATO Security General Mark Rutte claiming just this week that the UK might need to learn Russian if we didn’t bulk up the defence spending budget soon.
READ MORE: Russia is ‘at war’ with Britain, UK defence expert says
In the universe of The Wargame – qualified through its many governmental contributors – listeners are transported several months into the future, where Prime Minister Ben Wallace (standing in for Keir Starmer) and his top aids congregate for an emergency COBRA meeting following the Kremlin’s deployment of warships, submarines and fighter jets in the North Atlantic.
Norfolk Police had just discovered the corpses of two Royal Air Force fighter pilots and Russian assassins are at the forefront of everybody’s mind. This is most likely a response to a naval base bomb attack that the Kremlin believes British spies were behind.
London denied any involvement but it fell on deaf ears. Russia’s subsequent North Atlantic taskforce is perceived as severely antagonistic and the Brits need to hash out a plan.
In this situation, the Home Secretary would want to hear the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary’s views on what the Russians are trying to accomplish with this manouvere – is it retaliating to what they believe the UK is responsible for at the naval base?
The Prime Minister highlights the fact that Russia has a “long track record” of false-flagging, which means they action something but blame it on the other side to stir up justification for an attack.
He wants to mobilise the military to do whatever’s necessary to deter this threat, while the military chief recommends sending out the UK’s limited warships and jets.
The Defence Secretary worries that we wouldn’t be able to do such a thing unnoticed.
“We are calling on our allies internationally to join with the United Kingdom to defend collectively and to fight back,” the PM announces.
“The message is we are not alone and Russia must understand that they cannot bully, intimidate or strike us without serious consequences.”
Meanwhile, in the real world, the Russian embassy of London has poured cold water on the idea the country poses any danger, sharing: “Russia poses no threat to the United Kingdom and its people. We harbour no aggressive intentions and have no plans to attack Britain. We are not interested in doing so, nor do we need to.”
The Wargame is split into five episodes and launched with its first two today (June 10).