.jpg "Hammond: Russia greatest threat to UK security")
Philip Hammond made the comments a speech at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
He warned that Russia’s modernization of its military capability is a “cause for concern” for the UK.
“The rapid pace with which Russia is seeking to modernize her military forces and weapons combined with the increasingly aggressive stance of the Russian military including Russian aircraft around the sovereign airspace of NATO states are all significant causes of concern,” British media quoted him as saying.
“We are in familiar territory for anyone over the age of about 50, with Russia’s behavior a stark reminder that it has the potential to pose the single greatest threat to our security,” he said.
Hammond also said London would continue to gather intelligence about Moscow’s “capabilities and intentions” for “the foreseeable future.”
Back in February, reports revealed that British intelligence agencies were advertising to employ Russian-speaking spies amid growing tensions between London and Moscow.
The spies will be paid £30,000 a year. Their job will deal with “terrorism,” “espionage” and “potential threats” to Britain’s security, with the possibility of postings abroad.
MI5, MI6 and GCHQ have posted online adverts for the job, Russia Today reported.
The spies will be asked to contribute to the government’s policy on how to deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Relations between Russia and the UK have already been strained over the 2006 murder of a former KGB spy in London.
British investigators have accused two Russians of poisoning Alexander Litvinenko. They have asked Russian authorities to extradite the two suspects, one of them a member of Russia’s parliament.
Russia has refused the requests denying the allegations as baseless.
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