The United Kingdom is creating a new unit that will deal with countering Russian information warfare and attempts at foreign interference. The initiative was announced by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in his speech to the UN General Assembly.
The new structure will be part of London's broader efforts to protect British institutions, society and allies from information manipulation operations, which the British government identifies as part of the growing hybrid threat.
London changes approach to information warfare
The British government already views information operations as part of a broader range of threats, which includes cyberattacks, sabotage, attempts to influence elections and campaigns on social networks.
According to the British Foreign Office, Russian operations use fake websites, botnets, fake documents and content generated or manipulated with the help of artificial intelligence.
The goal, according to London, is not only to spread certain messages, but also to undermine trust in democratic institutions and create political division in European societies.
Russia is the main focus
The new unit comes against the backdrop of the consistent expansion of British measures against structures that London associates with Russian information influence operations.
Since October 2024, the UK has imposed sanctions on 106 organisations and individuals that the government says are linked to Russian information warfare.
These include entities such as Social Design Agency, ANO Dialog and the media company Rybar. British authorities claim that these organizations were involved in campaigns to spread pro-Russian messages, including through networks of inauthentic websites and accounts.
London added ten more individuals associated with Rybar in July 2026, accusing them of participating in activities to destabilize Ukraine.
From social networks to artificial intelligence
One of the new elements in information warfare is the use of technologies that allow content to be created and distributed on a massive scale.
The British government cites cases in which use artificial intelligence, fake media and automated accounts to create seemingly independent information sources.
According to London, such operations can be particularly effective during crises and elections, when public attention is high and reactions on social networks develop within hours.
This turns the information environment into a kind of security field in which states try to simultaneously protect their own societies and limit foreign interference.
Great Britain seeks a European response
London does not view the problem solely as a bilateral conflict between Britain and Russia.
The British government says it is working with France, Germany, Poland and European Union institutions to create a more coordinated European response to hybrid threats.
This cooperation is also developing within the framework of the UK-EU security and defense partnership.
The idea is for countries to be able to more quickly identify coordinated information campaigns, exchange intelligence and respond with common sanctions.
The first joint package of cyber sanctions between the UK and the EU was announced in July in response to Russian cyberattacks and wider hybrid threats.
The information front becomes part of national security
The new structure fits into a larger shift in British security policy.
In recent years, London has expanded its tools to counter foreign influence. The National Security (State Threats) Act, passed in 2026, gives British authorities additional powers to take action against organizations that, according to the government's assessment, are involved in activities that pose a threat to a foreign state.
In July, the British government also used the new framework to identify structures that it believes are linked to foreign threat activity.
Among them was a volunteer formation that British authorities link to the Russian military intelligence GRU.
In this way, information warfare is gradually being viewed in the same system as cyberattacks, espionage and sabotage.
The experience from Ukraine is also changing British strategy
The changes are not limited to the information sphere.
The British Armed Forces are already creating a new task force for the accelerated introduction of unmanned systems, with part of the structure being built in view of Ukraine's experience in the war with Russia. London is planning to invest 5 billion pounds for the development of drones and autonomous systems.
This shows a broader trend in British defense policy — using the experience of the war in Ukraine to adapt the army to a new type of conflict.
On one front are drones and autonomous weapons, and on the other — information, social networks and cyberspace.
Where is the line between propaganda and threat?
One of the most difficult tasks facing the new British unit will be to distinguish between a foreign information operation and legitimate expression of opinion.
The mere presence of pro-Russian positions or criticism of British policy is not evidence of coordinated foreign interference.
Therefore, the British strategy places emphasis on identifying specific networks, sources of funding, coordination and the use of inauthentic online profiles.
This is particularly important in democratic societies, where the state must simultaneously protect the electoral process and the information environment, without turning political disagreements in themselves into a threat to national security.
Sources: GOV.UK