Gavin Williamson: Russia is a bigger threat to Britain than insurgents were in Iraq and Afghanistan

Russia poses a "far greater" threat to Britain than insurgents did in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Defence Secretary has said.

In a fresh attack on the Russian regime, Gavin Williamson said that the security threat Britain faces has  considerably “escalated” in the last three years, and acknowledged that returning to Cold War-levels of defence spending was “tempting”.

He told the Commons on Monday: "We have to be realistic about the challenges. The challenges that are posed by Russia are far greater than the challenges that were presented as an insurgency in terms of Iraq and Afghanistan, and how do we get the right mix of military equipment and capability to deal with that increased threat."

A source close to Defence Secretary said that he was referring to the insurgencies that followed Britain’s military engagement in the two countries after the September 11 terrorist attack in New York in 2001.

The Government has blamed Russia for the use of Soviet-era nerve agent against a former Russian spy, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury, and also criticised the country for its support of the Syrian regime after its alleged use of chemical weapons.

On Monday Julian Lewis, Conservative chair of the defence select committee, pressed Mr Williamson for a commitment to greater levels of defence spending in response Russia's activities.

Mr Lewis said: “When the threat from Russia receded at the end of the Cold War we understandably cut our defence budget down to 3 per cent of GDP.

"Given events from Salisbury to Syria demonstrating that sadly this threat is now reappearing, should we not be seeking to get back to that sort of level of defence expenditure, and will he lay this pertinent fact in front of the Chancellor of the Exchequer?"

Mr Williamson responded saying: "The Right Honourable gentleman does try to tempt me.”

He has previously clashed with the Chancellor over fears of sharp defence cuts.

Responding to Mr Lewis in the House of Commons, Mr Williamson said:"We have to be realistic about the fact that the threat picture is changing. We've seen it escalate quite considerably since 2010, even from 2015.

"That is why we're doing the modernising defence programme, in order to deliver the right type of capabilities for our armed forces to deal with that increasing threat that we face."

Last week the National Audit Office revealed that the Armed Forces is facing its biggest overall shortfall for a decade, with 8,200 fewer servicemen and women than it needs, warning that the gaps could affect the Government's ability to engage in future missions.