Distance makes missile and submarine threats easy to discount

Do political leaders and the public simply not believe that the threat is real?

The concern is that many do not fully believe it, because fighting remains distant and they focus on invasion rather than possible drone or missile attacks.

Political leaders may describe a threat without fully accepting that it could affect Britain. War remains distant for much of the public while the fighting happens elsewhere. Focusing on whether Russian troops could invade the country can obscure the possibility of drone or missile attacks, including strikes launched from submarines. The concern is that geography encourages complacency about forms of attack that do not require an invasion.