IN recent days, many people will have seen graphics circulating online that show Ukrainian drone strikes have taken out Russian disinformation data centres. Regardless of the current speculation on these claims, it is no secret that hostile states are increasingly adopting hybrid tactics of warfare to infiltrate into our politics and twist what people at home feel about their own country and community. After all, there is a reason why the Kremlin spends around £1.3-billion each year on manipulating information.

Russian aggression has no place on European soil, nor in our algorithms. I welcome the Prime Minister's announcement of 1,500 new sanctions against individuals, entities and ships associated with Putin’s illegal war in his international statement, alongside a commitment to £25-billion for Ukraine to defend itself. We're also clamping down on those helping Russia evade the sanctions already put in place, including through restrictions on financial services and crypto exchanges. Our message remains clear: if you assist Russia's aggression, there will be consequences.

Unfortunately, not everyone in British politics is taking this threat seriously. Time and again, Nigel Farage has reached for the familiar Trumpian playbook whenever concerns are raised about Russian influence and disinformation: dismiss it as a hoax, call our Prime Minister a liar, and carry on. What makes this all the more remarkable is that he is doing so while a former leader of Reform UK in Wales, Nathan Gill, is serving a prison sentence after taking bribes as part of a pro-Russian influence operation. And just last week, Trump betrayed not just the Ukrainians, but all European allies in his dirty diesel deal with Putin – a pathetic, ineffective last ditch attempt to salvage fuel prices ahead of the midterms.

However, the changing nature of warfare is real, and disinformation is growing at pace: Countering disinformation in our democracy is now more important than ever. With Andy's announcement of a National Centre for Information Defence at the UN General Assembly, we're going into the next decade with our eyes wide-open to these insidious, ingenuine campaigns that want to churn up hatred and division in our communities. This Centre will unite social media companies, law enforcement and intelligence agencies to detect, attribute and disrupt foreign information attacks, alongside building resilience in our communities against disinformation. Andy's message to nations all over the world in New York was quite clear: Britain is back. Britain can be trusted as a stable partner in an increasingly unstable world.

We know already that artificial intelligence (AI) will only multiply the threat. It is therefore crucial that Britain's leadership remains a fore in the development and governance of artificial intelligence. Our AI Security Institute (AISI), a huge achievement of our last Government – is one of the leading centres in the world to build a rigorous, scientific understanding of the capabilities of the most advanced AI systems and the risks they pose. This is global technology and these complex issues do not stop at national borders, so we are also working closely with our allies and partners to make sure we get this right.

Russian drones are threatening Ukraine's borders, and its disinformation campaign threatens the integrity of our democracy. Cool-headed and clear eyed, Britain is confronting both.