The Wargame - episode five: The Choice <a href=https://open.spotify.com/show/4lHtW6x1D6R0E1QmGLkBK1 target="_blank"> 👉 Click here to listen to The Wargame on your podcast app 👈 </a>

Just finished the last episode of The Wargame. Pretty sobering ending - Russia definitely got the better of the exchange, even if the game finishes mid-war.

An excellent way of bringing the dangers of our present age to a wider public, not least the UK's very limited response options.

NATO summit: Sky's Deborah Haynes asks 'Daddy' Trump if NATO allies are children? NATO 'needs a little help' said the US president.

Donald Trump the "daddy" and his NATO “children" and Marco Rubio having a giggle⬇️

news.sky.com/video/nato-s...

If you still haven't caught The Wargame, now you have the opportunity to binge all five episodes. It is an extremely interesting and sobering listen, as it provides a less often discussed scenario of Russia testing NATO, and many of the UK considerations are equally valid for other NATO-countries.

The Choice | The Wargame Ep 5 Podcast Episode · The Wargame · S2 E5 · 54m

Here you go:

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

The Wargame Russia knows our weaknesses. But do you?   A major five-part series from Sky News and Tortoise which imagines how a Russian attack on the UK could play out – and invites real-life former ministers, mi...

🚨The final episode of The Wargame is out now:

After another attack by Russia, our fictional British government faces a terrifying choice. The home secretary asks: “We have the nuclear deterrent. In what circumstances would we use it prime minister?"

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It will be out on 24 June!

The Wargame Russia knows our weaknesses. But do you?   A major five-part series from Sky News and Tortoise which imagines how a Russian attack on the UK could play out – and invites real-life former ministers, mi...

🚨Out today - episodes 3 & 4 of The Wargame podcast.

In the scenario, Russia has just launched an armed attack on the UK. How will our fictional British government respond?

Episode 3: Where’s the War Book?

Episode 4: Ultimatum

podfollow.com/thewargame

The Wargame Russia knows our weaknesses. But do you?   A major five-part series from Sky News and Tortoise which imagines how a Russian attack on the UK could play out – and invites real-life former ministers, mi...

🚨Out today - episodes 3 & 4 of The Wargame podcast.

In the scenario, Russia has just launched an armed attack on the UK. How will our fictional British government respond?

Episode 3: Where’s the War Book?

Episode 4: Ultimatum

podfollow.com/thewargame

Episodes 3 & 4 of 'The Wargame' scheduled for release tonight.

Meanwhile, Russian state media coverage highlights that "they also have a person playing the president of Russia. This one. With a beard."

Screenshot of State Department addresses - plus one more.

HACK ALERT - Several of my email accounts have been targeted with a sophisticated account takeover that involved impersonating the US State Department.

More on the how, what and when later (including how to prevent similar attacks in the future), but for now -

[1/5]

Oh, but there are more interesting options as well 😁 Head over to Sky News/Tortoise 'The Wargame' to hear some interesting options. Gibraltar enters the stage in episode 2, but I'm not going to spoil anything more 😎

Hopefully people find this both interesting and educational. I had a small role in the background, but will be fascinated to learn how the other parts of the wargame went. Congratulations to @deborahaynes.bsky.social, Rob Johnson and all of the team for getting it out!

False Flag | The Wargame Ep 1 Podcast Episode · The Wargame · S2 E1 · 59m

Out now, The Wargame, a podcast series that simulates a Russian attack on the UK.

We imagine it's October 2025 Russia deploys a task force of ships, jets & submarines to the North Atlantic.

The UK is in missile range.

The PM calls an emergency Cobra meeting.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

The Wargame: New Sky News and Tortoise Media podcast series simulates a Russian attack on UK Former senior politicians, including Sir Ben Wallace, Jack Straw and Amber Rudd, play a fictional British government pitched against an imagined Kremlin.

Date for your diary: on 10 June you will want to listen to this, especially if you are in the UK. @deborahaynes.bsky.social brought together a home team of former ministers, generals and top civil servants to game out defence against Russia. The results are interesting.

news.sky.com/story/the-wa...

The Wargame: what a gripping and much-needed wargame of an attack on the UK.

Featuring luminaries of British politics (and yours truly as NATO SecGen).

Masterfully conceived and written by @deborahaynes.bsky.social & executed by the great Rob Johnson.

news.sky.com/story/bluesk...

As transatlantic relations continue to be in flux (putting it mildly), yesterday was a great moment to speak with @baibabraze.bsky.social @sophiabesch.bsky.social Hasit Thankey (NATO defence planning) & @deborahaynes.bsky.social about European defence as part of our Security & Defence conference.

Russia 'appears to have ignored Trump warning' after deadly strike on Ukrainian town At least 11 people were killed and 30 wounded, including five children, in an overnight attack on the town of Dobropillia, about 15 miles from the frontline in the Donestsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Russia 'appears to have ignored Trump warning' after deadly strike on Ukrainian town
@deborahaynes.bsky.social | SkyNews
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Long-range drone strikes weakening Russia's combat ability, senior Ukrainian commander says Sky News was given rare access to view a drone mission at a top-secret area in Ukraine. Long-range drone strikes targeting ammunition, weapons and fuel are making it "significantly" harder for Russia ...

EXCLUSIVE: Russia is finding it "significantly" harder to conduct combat operations against Ukraine because of a rise in Ukrainian long-range drone strikes on Russian weapons supplies, ammunition depots & fuel refineries, a senior commander has said.

news.sky.com/story/inside...

Zelenskyy's Europe armed forces call is harsh truth that London, Paris and Berlin needed to hear Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was building a new force of up to 150,000 soldiers. He asked the audience at the Munich Security Conference: "If Russia came for you, could your army fight the same way...

Ukraine’s call to rebuild Europe’s armed forces is a harsh truth London, Paris & Berlin need to hear as it becomes clear “America first” leaves Europeans out in the cold. But this isn’t just about money. It’s about a shift in mindset that affects everyone

news.sky.com/story/zelens...

Russian oil under attack as Ukraine targets fuel used by Vladimir Putin's military Sky News analysis shows an increase in Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian oil depots and other facilities linked to oil production over the past three months - with Kyiv hitting targets hundreds ...

Ukraine has ramped up long-range drone strikes into Russia, targeting oil facilities that fuel warplanes, ships and military vehicles as well as oil refineries that help power the economy.

news.sky.com/story/russia...

North Koreans 'blow themselves up with grenades rather than risk capture', say Ukraine soldiers Interviews with several Ukrainian troops reveal North Korean troops they have encountered show an apparent initial lack of awareness about the threats from drones and artillery, as well as a refusal t...

EXCLUSIVE: North Korean troops appear to have temporarily pulled back from the frontline in Russia after suffering heavy losses, a Ukrainian SF commander has said, warning "they'll be back soon". He & others share detail about how Kim Jong-Un's men have been fighting

news.sky.com/story/north-...

Royal Navy attack submarine warned off Russian spy ship from UK waters Defence Secretary John Healey said Russia "remains the most pressing and immediate threat to Britain", and added that "any threat will be met with strength and resolve".

A Royal Navy attack submarine surfaced close to a Russian spy ship off the UK coast in an extraordinary warning to stop spying on undersea cables, the defence secretary said. The incident involving HMS Astute happened in November but the Russian vessel returned this week
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Britain’s PM made powerful remarks alongside Ukraine’s President about the importance of “peace through strength” & how it “has to be more than words. It has to be through actions” But Sir Keir Starmer has yet even to set a timeframe to inch up the UK’s own defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from 2.3%

Donald Trump's threats over Greenland and Ukraine could be a make-or-break test for NATO At a lengthy press conference from Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, president-elect Donald Trump marked the starting shot in what could be a make-or-break test for NATO over Ukraine, Greenland, and defence spen...

The public articulation by Donald Trump of a new desired target for NATO allies to spend 5% of national income on defence will surely plunge governments across Europe into crisis mode - not least here in the UK.

news.sky.com/story/donald...

On President-elect Donald Trump and his desire for NATO countries to spend 5% of national income on defence - this would of course also mean a massive increase in US taxpayer cash going towards defence. US defence spending last year was 3.38% of GDP⬇️

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Russia's 'hybrid attacks' against NATO 'look like war' and allies must draw 'red lines' Russia is accused of a campaign of so-called hybrid attacks which are designed to sit in a grey zone under the threshold of conventional war - something Moscow denies.

NEW (#Putin) via @news.sky.com's @deborahaynes.bsky.social:

"#Russia's unconventional attacks against #NATO 'look like war' and allies must set new red lines that will trigger a retaliation if crossed, a former foreign minister has warned."
news.sky.com/story/russia...

Russia's 'hybrid attacks' against NATO 'look like war' and allies must draw 'red lines' Russia is accused of a campaign of so-called hybrid attacks which are designed to sit in a grey zone under the threshold of conventional war - something Moscow denies.

Russia's unconventional attacks against NATO "look like war" and allies must set new red lines that will trigger a retaliation if crossed, the former Lithuanian foreign minister has warned ⬇️

news.sky.com/story/russia...

Unconventional Russian attack could cause 'substantial' casualties, top NATO official warns NATO is in a "boiling frog" situation with suspected Russian hybrid attacks creeping up to a volume that would have been "utterly unacceptable" five years ago, says the alliance's deputy assistant sec...

EXCLUSIVE: There is a "real prospect" an unconventional attack by Russia against NATO - such as an act of sabotage or arson - will cause "substantial" casualties, a top alliance official has told Sky News

news.sky.com/story/amp/un...

NATO head warns allies must return to 'war mindset' - but is Europe listening? In more than 20 years of covering wars and reporting on defence, I cannot remember a NATO boss using such strong language to talk about existential threats. It signals a genuine sense of crisis inside...

🚨The head of NATO just sounded the alarm about a need to fix Europe’s hollowed out defences. The big question is whether national governments are listening.

In the UK, Sir Keir Starmer appears for now to favour peacetime priorities over preparing for war…

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Damp and mould found in 'shocking' military accommodation, MPs say The chair of the Defence Committee says "it is simply not acceptable to expect those who fight for their country to live in housing with serious damp and mould".

The state of military accommodation is "shocking", with two-thirds of service family homes "in such poor condition that they are essentially no longer fit for purpose", a report by MPs has found.

news.sky.com/story/damp-a...