---
title: "\"The dragons have returned, and the snakes have not gone away\": MI5 chief warns of a dual threat to Britain from terrorism and great powers"
description: "MI5 chief Ken McCallum stated that Britain faces a dual threat: terrorism coexists with strategic pressure from Russia and China, which he called the \"dragons.\""
date: 2026-09-11T23:26:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/mi5-chief-on-the-dual-threat-of-dragons-and-snakes-to-britain
tags: [mi5, uk-security, ken-mccallum, russia, china, terrorism, national-security]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# "The dragons have returned, and the snakes have not gone away": MI5 chief warns of a dual threat to Britain from terrorism and great powers

![MI5 chief Ken McCallum in a suit against the UK Security Service coat of arms, commenting on the dual threat from terrorism and great powers](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/12/glava-mi5-o-ugrozhah-dragonov-i-zmey-dlya-britanii/glava-mi5-o-ugrozhah-dragonov-i-zmey-dlya-britanii-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- MI5 chief Ken McCallum stated that the terrorist threat now exists in parallel with strategic pressure from Russia and China.
- McCallum used the metaphor of "dragons" (Russia and China) and "snakes" (radical Islamic extremists), stating that "the dragons have returned, and the snakes have not gone away."
- Among the threats from the "dragon" states he cited sabotage, covert interference in democratic processes, and cyberattacks on critical infrastructure.
- McCallum called for national security to be treated as a national concern rather than the remit of just a few departments.

According to the leadership of its counterintelligence service, the United Kingdom today faces a more complex and multi-layered set of national security threats than in the period after the 11 September 2001 attacks. MI5 Director Ken McCallum, in an op-ed column, stated that the classic terrorist threat not only persists but now exists in parallel with strategic pressure from powerful states. In his words, the drive of radical groups toward mass casualties has not weakened, but it now "coexists with strategic threats to national security emanating from powerful states."

### "Dragons" and "snakes": the metaphor of a dual threat

Describing the new reality, McCallum drew on a metaphor by former CIA Director James Woolsey, who after the end of the Cold War spoke of the West's victory over the "great dragon." "We are now facing the worst of both worlds: the dragons have returned, and the snakes are still here," wrote the MI5 chief. By "dragons" he means primarily Russia and China, while by "snakes" he means radical Islamic extremists who, in his assessment, continue their activities and have not lost their potential to attack.

### Strategic challenges from the "dragon" states

Separately, McCallum emphasised the need to counter threats that are supported at the state level. Among them he cited sabotage organised through criminal networks, covert interference in democratic processes, and cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, including power plants. Thus, counterintelligence is registering a shift from a predominantly "grassroots" terrorist threat to a hybrid model in which the actions of non-state actors are supplemented by systemic pressure from sovereign states.

### A call for a national response

In the words of the MI5 chief, the modern challenges require not only the work of intelligence and security agencies but also broader involvement of the state and society. "This is my call to action after 25 years: government, business, the scientific community and the public must view national security not as a matter belonging exclusively to the remit of a few departments, but as a national concern," McCallum wrote. The reference to "25 years" alludes to the anniversary of the 11 September attacks and underscores that over a quarter of a century the nature of the threats has changed qualitatively.

### Context: the "shadow war" and incidents in Europe

The statement by the MI5 chief came against a backdrop of growing alarm in Europe over the "shadow war" and deliberate sabotage operations. Earlier, the media and expert community had noted warnings of an intensification of hybrid confrontation by Russia against NATO countries. In the same vein, Germany officially accused Russia of a hybrid drone attack on Leipzig airport, and Berlin, according to reports, is closing the Russian consulate in Bonn, terminating the agreement on the "Russian House," and initiating new sanctions in the EU. Against this backdrop, McCallum's words about the return of the "dragons" look not like rhetoric but like a reflection of the operational picture that intelligence services are registering in real time.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- ["The dragons have returned": MI5 chief on the two countries threatening Britain](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/drakoni-povernulisya-glava-mi5-dvi-krayini-1789166095.html) - Подтверждает заявление МакКаллума о двух странах-«драконах» и метафору двойной угрозы.
- ["The dragons have returned, and the snakes have not gone away." MI5 chief on the threats to Britain](https://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/28102633) - Фиксирует цитату о «драконах» и «змеях» и параллельное существование террористической и стратегической угроз.
- [MI5 chief warns of the return of "dragon" states threatening Britain](https://rossaprimavera.ru/news/de711c6e) - Подтверждает тезис о возвращении государств-«драконов» как источника угроз.
- [MI5 chief warns of a "threat" to the UK from China and Russia](https://profile.ru/news/politics/glava-mi5-zayavil-o-ugroze-velikobritanii-so-storony-kitaya-i-rossii-1900607/) - Идентифицирует «драконами» именно Китай и Россию, согласуясь с основным текстом.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who is the head of British counterintelligence MI5 and what did he state?
**A:** MI5 chief Ken McCallum stated that Britain faces a dual threat: the terrorist danger persists and now exists in parallel with strategic pressure from powerful states.

### Q: Who does McCallum call the "dragons" and who the "snakes"?
**A:** By "dragons" he means primarily Russia and China, while by "snakes" he means radical Islamic extremists who continue their activities.

### Q: What specific threats from the "dragon" states did the MI5 chief name?
**A:** He cited sabotage organised through criminal networks, covert interference in democratic processes, and cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, including power plants.

### Q: Who is McCallum's call addressed to?
**A:** The call is addressed to government, business, the scientific community and the public: he proposes that national security be treated as a national concern rather than the remit of just a few departments.