A former top British military general has warned that Vladimir Putin could easily launch the same missiles which are hitting Ukraine to “fall on London” and the UK have no way of shooting them down.
Moscow could hit the UK from 360 degrees with cruise missiles which travel at 600mph and would hit their intended targets in London within 90 minutes.
Putin has repeatedly made threats against the West and General Sir Richard Barons told The Sun that the Kh-101 missiles would most likely be in waves of 60 to 90 at a time, if the order was given.
The Kh-101 stealth missiles have a range of up to 2,800km and are designed to cruise at “terrain hugging altitude” and by doing so they can evade infra-red radars and can literally hit their target within 2 metres of “accuracy.”
General Barrons was asked if the UK could defeat such an attack by Russia, he warned, “No, of course not.
“The UK does not have the air and missile defence that Ukraine has, for now. We’ve not needed it.”
He told The Sun’s World At War show, “The sort of missiles that fall on Kyiv could fall on London. And Kyiv’s air defences are way, way better.
“Even a quite elderly Russian cruise missile, I’m going to cite Kh-101 released from an aircraft over western Russia, arrives in London 90 minutes later with a 500 kilogram explosive warhead and an accuracy of two meters.
“So pick your door in Downing Street.”
General Barrons said that the threat of such an attack is “not imminent,” but he was warning that should Putin launch such an attack the UK is defenceless.
He added, “If you were wanting to fire at the UK, you might fire from Russia, but then you’ve got to cross Europe.
“You’re more likely to fire from the Atlantic, from the Baltic Sea, from the North Sea, or use an aircraft so the UK can be attacked as an island 360 degrees.”
The former chief of Joint Forces Command said that the government are intensely looking at various ways they could defend the UK.
He told The Sun, “There’s a big conversation going on in government about how you do that.
“It’s quite a big problem. It’s probably a £4 billion problem.
“But it’s going to be part of this, of this age.”
Last month Tory MP Tobias Ellwood has said the government must build an Israeli type Iron Dome as the UK needs to “prepare for all scenarios.”
Lt. Colonel Ellwood who is a former army officer has said the government must seriously consider building the Iron Dome in the next defence review, which will cost an estimated £800 million.
