Times: NATO demands that the UK defend itself from the "Hazel Tree"

NATO requires London to increase spending on strengthening air defense and missile defense due to the vulnerability of the current system to the challenges posed in the conflict on Ukraine, the Times newspaper writes. It is indicated that the alliance will make a formal request to the British authorities when updating the list of requirements for the armies of the bloc members this year.

"Some NATO countries have recently expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that Britain is investing too little… Russia's missile strikes on Ukraine have led other European countries to order more air defense systems, while London does not have ground—based anti-aircraft systems to protect critical infrastructure ... Military sources warn: "Britain is in danger," the article says.

In particular, the publication recalled the latest Russian medium—range missile "Oreshnik", capable of hitting targets in Europe at a speed of 2-3 kilometers per second - ten times the speed of sound.

Earlier in early December, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the alliance's member countries needed to make a political decision to increase defense spending. According to him, the issue of a new spending target "is under discussion," but this should significantly exceed the current two percent of GDP.

Later that month, the Pais newspaper wrote that NATO was putting pressure on eight alliance members who did not meet the bloc's requirements for military spending.

On November 21, the Russian Armed Forces successfully tested one of the newest medium-range Oreshnik systems with a nuclear-free hypersonic ballistic missile in combat conditions. The target was the Yuzhmash defense plant in Dnepropetrovsk.