The Wargame

Russia knows our weaknesses. But do you?   

A major five-part series from Sky News and Tortoise which imagines how a Russian attack on the UK could play out – and invites real-life former ministers, military chiefs and other experts to figure out how to defend the country.

I produced The Wargame between January and June 2025.

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Trailer

A bunker. A scenario. A group of former senior ministers, military chiefs and other experts. Russia knows our weaknesses – but do you?   

1: False Flag

Tensions with Russia escalate, and an imaginary week in the near future takes a turn for the unexpected. The Prime Minister calls an emergency Cobra meeting.

2: Armed Attack

Hostilities with Russia erupt into an unprecedented attack. The Prime Minister and his team scramble to respond. Will the UK’s allies choose to help them? 

Behind the scenes

Live Q&A with Sophy Ridge

Credits

Written and presented by Deborah Haynes
Series producer: James Shield
Development producer: Jess Swinburne
Additional production: Katy Scholes

Editor for Tortoise: Jasper Corbett
Commissioning editor for Sky News: Paul Stanworth
Executive producers for Sky News: Sarah Whitehead and David Mapstone

Wargame designer: Dr Rob Johnson

Wargame operations team
Technical manager: Rich Andrews
Sound supervisor: Will Thornton
Camera operator: Tom Ross
Technical facilities: Spiritland Productions
Sky News OB team: Stuart Dixon, Luke Kelly, Kelly Casanova
Wargame support team: Matthew Boyce, Edward Clowes, Aisling Flaherty, Katie Gunning, Jonathan Lewis, Gary Marshall, Rebecca Moore, Katy Scholes, Edward Stringer, Jess Swinburne
Runners: Talia Augustidis and Alan Weedon

Sound design: Tom Kinsella (episodes 1, 4 and 5) and Tom Burchell (episodes 2 and 3)
Original music: Tom Kinsella
Violin: Charlie Brown

UK team
Prime Minister: Sir Ben Wallace
Chancellor: Jim Murphy
Foreign Secretary: Jack Straw
Home Secretary: Amber Rudd
Defence Secretary: James Heappey
Attorney General: Baroness Helena Kennedy KC
National Security Adviser: Lord Mark Sedwill
Chief of the Defence Staff: General Sir Richard Barrons (ret’d)
Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee: Dr Rob Johnson
Downing Street Press Secretary: Victoria Mackarness
Chief of Joint Operations: Lieutenant General Sir David Capewell (ret’d)
Civil contingencies: Professor Lucy Easthope
Defence Equipment and Support: Sir Bernard Gray
Royal Navy: Tom Sharpe
Royal Air Force: Dr Sophy Antrobus
National Security Secretariat: Daniel Tarshish
Ministry of Defence: Matthew Savill

Russia team
President: Keir Giles
Chief of the General Staff: Toms Rostoks
Head of the GRU: Maria Engqvist
Naval Commander: Robin Häggblom

Allies
US Secretary of State: Professor Phillips O’Brien
NATO Secretary General: Elisabeth Braw

Newsreaders
UK: Katie Gunning
Russia: Valeriy Akimenko

The Cobra team. Left to right: Gen Sir Richard Barrons, Amber Rudd, Deborah Haynes, Baroness Helena Kennedy, James Heappey, Sir Ben Wallace, Lord Mark Sedwill, Jack Straw, Victoria Mackarness, Jim Murphy, Dr Rob Johnson. 8th April 2025. Photographer: Tim Anderson.