Image Credentials: Image Title: UK Cities ‘90 Minutes from Destruction by Missiles,’ Warns Former Army Chief Source: (sora.chatgpt) Date: June 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (sora.chatgpt), it does not depict a real-world scene.
By Staff Writer | June 3, 2025
London, UK – In a stark warning to government and the public alike, former British Army chief General Sir Richard Barrons has said that UK cities could be just 90 minutes away from total devastation in the event of a full-scale missile attack by a hostile power such as Russia.
Appearing on Sky News’s Politics Hub, General Barrons, a key architect of the UK’s Strategic Defence Review, drew direct parallels between the destruction seen in Ukrainian cities and what could happen in Britain if modern threats are not properly deterred.
“You look at the damage done to places like Kyiv by missiles and air attacks,” he said. “Those are the same missiles and bombs that could do the same damage to London, Birmingham, Liverpool, or Newcastle if we don’t take steps to deter that.”
Barrons stressed that while an attack was not necessarily imminent, the capabilities already exist to reach the UK in a very short time. “A cruise missile is only 90 minutes away,” he said, highlighting how rapidly Britain could be plunged into chaos in the absence of advanced deterrence and defence systems.
This is absolutely terrifying, all for a country that has nothing to do with us.
Russian state television showed the countries in Europe that will be hit by nuclear weapons if the war intensifies:
"All it takes is three missiles and British civilization will collapse." pic.twitter.com/aXLSmRggWJ
— Queen Natalie (@TheNorfolkLion) November 18, 2024
Russia: “Immediate and Pressing Threat”
The updated Strategic Defence Review has identified Russia as the most immediate military threat to the UK and its allies. “The invasion of Ukraine has made it unequivocally clear that Russia is willing to use force to achieve its goals,” the review states.
Meanwhile, China is described as a “sophisticated and persistent challenge,” with warnings about increased espionage and cyber attacks, alongside concerns that Beijing could possess 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. Regional powers Iran and North Korea are also listed as destabilising forces.
Call for Modernisation: AI, Robots, Lasers
To meet these evolving threats, the Strategic Defence Review calls on the Ministry of Defence to embrace emerging technologies — from artificial intelligence and unmanned systems to energy-based weapons like lasers — as a matter of urgency.
“The threats we face are now more serious and less predictable than at any time since the end of the Cold War,” said Defence Secretary John Healey in a statement to the Commons.
“We face war in Europe, growing Russian aggression, new nuclear risks, and daily cyberattacks at home. Our adversaries are working more in alliance with one another, while technology is changing the way war is fought. We are in a new era of threat, which demands a new era for UK defence,” Healey added.
Public Awareness and Political Will
General Barrons emphasized that the British public and policymakers must confront the harsh reality of the current geopolitical landscape. “We should absolutely be prepared to exist in a world where things like precision missiles can range the UK and do great harm,” he warned.
The message comes as global tensions rise, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Indo-Pacific, where authoritarian powers are testing the resolve of Western democracies. The Defence Review marks a significant step in adapting British defence policy to these challenges, but critics argue that more investment and urgency are needed.
A Wake-Up Call
Barrons warning is being interpreted by many as a wake-up call for Britain’s defence establishment. As the landscape of global conflict changes rapidly, with war now fought across physical, digital, and even orbital domains, the UK’s ability to protect its population, infrastructure, and sovereignty will depend on how quickly it can adapt to modern threats.
In his closing remarks on Sky News, General Barrons put it bluntly: “We no longer have the luxury of preparing for yesterday’s wars. The future is already here, and we have 90 minutes to be ready for it.”