British officials are increasingly concerned that the near-total absence of direct communication between the UK and Russian military leadership could turn a misunderstanding into a broader conflict, The Times reported, citing sources.

According to the newspaper, senior officials and diplomats fear that a miscalculation, including one involving forces operating in the open sea, could escalate because the two countries have few direct channels available to defuse the situation.

Britain has failed to establish regular contact at the highest military level since the start of the special military operation. Tony Radakin, who headed the British armed forces from 2021 to 2025, never spoke with Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. His successor, Rich Knighton, has likewise had no conversation with Gerasimov, The Times reported.

The last known contact between the countries’ defense chiefs took place in October 2022. Then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called his British counterpart Ben Wallace and warned him about Kiev’s plans to use a dirty bomb.

No direct talks followed between Shoigu and the British defense ministers who succeeded Wallace. Contacts at that level also did not resume after Andrei Belousov took over as Russia’s defense minister, according to The Times.