Watch the British miniseries “The Wargame” – it explains the Russian threat and just how ill-prepared we are.

Milan. A night-time CCTV camera captures two men leaving a pub; a third man approaches them from behind, shoots them, kills them and flees. Thus begins “The Wargame”, a miniseries broadcast by Sky in the UK – a sort of reality show featuring politicians, military personnel and well-known experts – which simulates a Russian attack on the British. In 1965, a documentary was filmed in the UK simulating an attack; it bore the same title: for twenty years, the BBC refused to broadcast it because it considered it ‘too frightening’. Penny Mordaunt, who served as Defence Secretary and plays the same role in the reality programme, said that the shock today is similar to that of the time, and if the BBC’s censors were still around, they probably wouldn’t want to show it to the public.

It soon transpires that the two men killed are elite military pilots, and it is suspected that they were murdered by a hitman sent from Russia who is planning an attack on the United Kingdom and aims to destroy the British defence system, starting with its human capital. The information is gradually revealed at a meeting of COBRA, the UK’s security cabinet, which convenes in an office beneath Downing Street; it is there that much of the series takes place, because this is not merely the story of a Russian attack, but above all of the British response. Or rather: of Britain’s ability to react.

Initially, it is almost comical to observe well-known figures making life-changing decisions: for example, the Prime Minister is played by Michael Gove, a Conservative politician who, in real life, tried everything – including blatantly betraying his allies and friends – to become Prime Minister but never succeeded (he now runs The Spectator magazine). Gove’s deputy is Nicola Sturgeon, the former Scottish First Minister who later found herself embroiled in several scandals – an unlikely collaborator for someone like Gove. And then there is Christopher Steele, the former secret agent and author of the famous ‘dossier’ that revealed Donald Trump’s links with Russia during the 2016 election campaign: in the series, he plays the head of intelligence.

However, as soon as the simulation begins—which occurs almost immediately—the comic effect disappears, leaving only fear and debate between the hawks and the cautious, and it becomes clear that the UK is by no means ready. Keir Giles, an expert on Russia and author of "Who Will Defend Europe?", helped create the series by analysing possible Russian actions: he says that potential apocalyptic scenarios were ruled out to avoid excessive alarmism, but the impact of decades of underinvestment in defence remains. When General Richard Barrons, who plays the Chief of the Defence Staff, asks: “I want to know the current state of our land, sea and air defences”, the reply is: “We haven’t got a bloody thing.” And what about the Americans? The Secretary of State is played by Anthony Scaramucci, who served as Trump’s Chief of Staff for just ten days and has now just published a memoir: he says he won’t help the British – sort it out yourselves.

For those who believe that the Russian threat is being exaggerated by various countries, “The Wargame” appears to be a pointless exercise in scaremongering. For everyone else—realists and those in the know—it is a very well-executed awareness campaign that shows that not even the countries we consider to be prepared are actually ready, let alone the others.