The British public has little confidence that the UK can defend itself from military attack by Russia, a new poll for The i Paper has revealed.

Just over one in three people – 34 per cent – believe the country would be able to withstand a strike by Moscow if Vladimir Putin decided to lash out against a Nato state.

More than half, 54 per cent, are not confident in Britain’s homeland defence, while the remainder do not know, according to the survey by BMG Research.

Western intelligence assessments say that Russia could hit a Nato country by 2030, with some official US predictions warning it could come even sooner, possibly within the next two years.

Gaps in homeland defence

Fears intensified over the summer after Moscow was accused of stepping up its “grey zone” warfare against Nato countries in Europe, including a failed drone attack on Leipzig airport in Germany.

Defence experts claimed the new poll findings would be even more stark if the public knew the full realities about what they believe are gaps in Britain’s homeland defence and called on ministers to be more honest about the situation.

The UK has some protection in the form of RAF Typhoons which could shoot down hostile drones, but the jets cannot track or intercept ballistic missiles.

The Royal Navy’s Type 45 Destroyers equipped with Sea Viper air-defence systems can intercept missiles, but a ship would have to be in UK waters to be fully effective.

While Britain would, to some extent, be able to rely on its Nato allies in the event of a strike by Russia, military experts have long warned that the country needs a full “Iron Dome-style” missile-defence shield.

The poll suggests that men are more confident than women that Britain can defend itself from a strike, with 41 per cent of male voters agreeing compared to 27 per cent of female voters.

Concerns over defence funding

It comes amid concern over the level of funding for Britain’s defence, with the Government yet to find £4.7bn to fully pay for the four-year Defence Investment Plan, and a definite timeline to meet the target of spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence yet to be finalised.

Chancellor John Healey resigned as defence secretary from Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet over the issue.

Last year’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) recommended £1bn in funding for the UK’s missile defence, but it warned a full Iron Dome-style system, which would cost £80bn over the next decade, was unaffordable.

Asked about the poll findings, General Sir Richard Barrons, co-author of the SDR, said he “admired the 34 per cent” who were confident in Britain’s ability to defend itself.

He added: “As the SDR made clear last year, the UK has the Armed Forces it ended up with at the end of the post-Cold War era, yet lives now in a new, far more dangerous era of state confrontation and conflict.

“So there is a big gap, which needs to be closed by transforming for war in the 21st century, not simply refilling shelves.

“More than anything, most British people are neither aware, nor want to be aware, of how tough life would be under attack and what would be required of them – other countries like Sweden are way ahead in national resilience.”

‘Our homeland security is particularly weak’

Former defence minister Tobias Ellwood said: “The rise of authoritarian aggression and grey zone threats coupled with the gradual abandonment of our global order all point to a new era of insecurity which Britain is ill-prepared for.

“What makes this polling significant is how much higher it would be if the Government were more honest about the types of threats Britain is facing every day which are not shared with the British people.

“Our homeland security is particularly weak, defending our infrastructure, keeping the lights on, security of critical supplies that fuel our economy. Our adversaries are aware of our vulnerabilities and will exploit them.”

Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said: “It is no surprise that a majority of the British public are not confident about Britain’s preparedness for a Russian military attack.

“Our own Chancellor, when he resigned as defence secretary, said we needed to spend 3 per cent of GDP on defence to keep the country safe – but now he’s in No 11 he has no plan.

“If the Government adopted our approach of genuinely prioritising defence, it would send a powerful signal to the Kremlin, whilst also providing the funding to ensure the brilliant men and women of our Armed Forces have the tools to do the job.”

A Government spokesman said: “We’ve delivered the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War – committing nearly £300bn over the next four years. That means more money for the kit and personnel that keep us safe everyday.

“And we’ve launched the Home Defence Programme, to ensure we’re prepared for potential threats, however likely they may be. Just weeks ago, we announced that we’ll be updating departmental crisis plans, known as The Warbook, and will be holding the largest home defence exercise in recent UK history next year.”