This is what will happen if Putin attacks the UK with a nuclear missile

10 comments

1. A high-pitched siren rings out for 10 seconds from 85 million mobile phones. The emergency alert warns members of the public to “go in, stay in, tune in”, and keep away from external walls and windows to avoid radiation.

   And at the heart of power, a well-rehearsed plan that no one ever wants to see put into action clicks remorselessly into place.

   These are some of the opening moments of what is expected to happen if a nuclear strike on the British mainland is imminent.

   While this scenario remains unlikely – given the UK’s nuclear deterrent and Nato’s early warning and response plans – it has been brought back into sharp focus following the publication of the government’s [*Strategic Defence Review*](http://inside%20the%20government's%20response%20to%20a%20nuclear%20attack%20by%20russia/).

   That review made clear the threats to the UK from adversaries like Russia – and potentially, China – are becoming graver.

   The SDR warned that Moscow and Beijing are “putting nuclear weapons at the centre of their security strategies, increasing the number and types of weapons in their stockpiles”.

   Defence insiders connected to the SDR believe there is no need for the public to “panic” about the prospect of a [Third World War](https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/britain-must-ready-itself-for-war-strategic-defence-review-to-say-3688107?srsltid=AfmBOoq4hXWQYCbb3TPF8YMI1rDBUR4J7J-V9wNmd0CuZkhBg23M-QdF&ico=in-line_link).

   But the review called on the government, industry and society to take steps to bolster the UK’s homeland defences. 

   A Government spokesperson said: “We have robust plans in place for a range of potential emergencies that have been developed and tested over many years.”

2. I could do with the time off work.

3. It would get really really bright and quite hot.

4. Who says you can’t return to your childhood. We lived next to a primary target, and one of my early memories is mum saying if we hear the warning we’ll just stand in the garden and not feel a thing. That surprisingly wasn’t much comfort.

5. There seems to be some organised alarmism in the past few days: first the army guy warning that we all need to be ready for a Russian attack at any moment, now this. Anyone have any idea what is going on?

   I mean, if Russia were to attack anyone beyond Ukraine, you’d think it would be further incursions in Eastern Europe, whether the Baltic states or further south (Moldovia etc). In what possible world would it make sense for Putin to start launching nuclear strikes at us (and, presumably, the rest of Western Europe), knowing that at the very minimum the UK, France and (one would hope) the US would instantly retaliate and turn Moscow into a smooth & glassy plain?

   I don’t see what possible motivation anyone could have in Government for stoking fears of this kind. I say “in Government” because it does look like a new line that is being pushed recently. And this is from “the i”, not the Telegraph, so appears to be more than simple party politics.

6. A positive thought for a Sunday morning. Is this an attempt to get us all to go to church ?

7. everyone will die, and some rich guy 1000 miles away will make a few million quid that he really doesn’t need.

8. Probably a load of old shit to justify spending extra money on defence. Rather than spending it on the people and services that need it the most in this country

9. Yes, the country absolutely needs to be prepared and have multiple strategies in the event that an attack does occur.

   Russia’s entire modus operandi is based on extracting maximum concessions from the *threat of violence* moreso than actually attacking, atleast when it comes to countries that aren’t there immediate neighbour. Note, I am not saying Russìa does not and will not ever attack in general, but realistically Russia is not going to attack us with nuclear missiles outside of an actual hot war. Russia IS going to continue threatening other countries with nuclear attacks so that other nations feel pressured or scared into giving Russia as much room to maneuver. If they were to actually fire nukes, they would be showing their hand and playing their final card.

   The more immediate concern for now is the fact that we are regularly the target of cyber warfare, not only through hacking groups targeting businesses and critical infrastructure but also by **deliberately manipulating social media spaces to target vulnerable people with disinformation, presenting false realities to stoke social tensions so that people vote erratically for extremist parties who are compromised and/or are sympathetic to Russia**. This is not an abstract threat. Russia is specifically exploiting vulnerabilities in how we govern/protect our information spaces. It is a real, targeted, and ongoing occurrence that we know is happening, have already fallen victim to, and will again without robust and quick action.

10. Daily mail shite

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