Expert: Russia Launched Cyber Warfare Against UK With ‘Dirty Tricks’

In response to an attack on Syria, Russia has launched a cyberwar against the United Kingdom. This “dirty trick” campaign will be against the United States as well, and Boris Johnson, the UK’s Foreign Secretary says retaliation plans against Russia should be made now.

According to The Telegraph UK, Whitehall sources on Sunday night confirmed a Pentagon analysis that showed a 20-fold increase in Russian-sourced “disinformation” being spread online since the cruise missile attacks on Syria in the early hours of Saturday. This ramped up the fears that it could be a precursor to a campaign of cyber attacks by the Kremlin, and the Foreign Secretary said Britain must take “every possible precaution” to guard against it.

The attack on Syria by Western powers has put officials in the UK on edge.  They now feel that Russia will retaliate with a cyber attack against UK hospitals and other services including air traffic control, and one expert believes such an attack is imminent.  Counter-terrorism expert Michael Clarke, who specializes in defense studies, has urged the public to be ready for “cyber warfare” within the next two or three weeks.

“I suspect Russia will choose not to respond in military terms. But cyber warfare is highly likely,” said Clarke.  “It will be an attack on national infrastructure, not just upsetting city firms, but getting inside the transport system, or the health system, or air traffic control. It could affect everyone.”

The UK, US, and France launched 105 missiles at suspected chemical weapons sites in three strikes in Damascus and near Homs on Saturday, and Russian President Putin warned that the US-led strike against Syria would result in “consequences” against the Allied forces, without stating what they would be.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, the UK foreign secretary said relations between both countries (the UK and Russia) had severely declined in the wake of the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and Saturday’s missile air strikes in Damascus and Homs.  Johnson also stressed the “limits” of the intervention were to stop an apparent erosion of the “taboo” of chemical weapons. “The rest of the Syrian war must proceed as it will,” he said, adding that the “primary purpose is to say no to the use of barbaric chemical weapons.” Johnson added that he did not know how Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would respond, saying that if there was a repeat chemical attack, “clearly, with allies, we would study what the options were.”The NHS has proven to be a weak target for cyber attacks in the past.  With an already failing socialist healthcare system, any cyber warfare could be fatal for the UK’s hospitals which are on life support now. 

Militants Shoot Down Syrian Army Plane In Hama Province

According to local TV, a Syrian army"s military aircraft has been downed by insurgents in the Hama province. The pilot of the jet has reportedly been killed as a result of the downing, according to Al Arabiya.

 

#BREAKING: #Syrian media confirm opposition shot down regime military aircraft near the eastern Hama countryside. More soon. pic.twitter.com/4ct6ctdqDf

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) December 26, 2017

 

The report was confirmed by SANA, the Syrian state media organization.

"The military aircraft crashed in the vicinity of Hama after it was shot by terrorists; the pilot was killed," a source told the Syrian state-run SANA news agency.

According to local media reports translated by Sputnik, it wasn"t clear which group was responsible for shooting down the jet. Several unconfirmed reports said the pilot survived the crash, but was later killed by his militant captors. The plane was reportedly identified as a L-39 Albatros. Still, conflicting reports have surfaced about what happened to the jet: Some local outlets reported that the jet suffered technical difficulties, while others said it was downed by anti-aircraft guns.
 

 

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