The head of MI5 has warned Vladimir Putin’s “henchmen” are looking to “weaken Western resolve” by generating “mayhem on British streets”. In his annual speech on the threats facing the country, Ken McCallum said it was clear the intelligence services has “one hell of a job on its hands” protecting the UK from other states – particularly with the Ukraine war in the background.

Russian spies are “on a sustained mission to generate mayhem in British streets”, the head of MI5 has said.Ken McCallum said that as the war in Ukraine continues, the security services were seeing “Putin’s henchmen seeking to strike elsewhere in the misguided hope of weakening Western resolve”.

Ken McCallum admitted the UK looms "large in the fevered imagination of Putin's regime" after supporting Ukraine in the war with Russia.