Overview

• A fire at the Hayes substation near Heathrow Airport led to a full-day closure of the airport and significant travel disruptions.
• Counterterrorism police have been deployed to investigate the incident, though this is described as a precautionary step with no evidence of foul play so far.
• Speculation about potential Russian involvement has emerged due to past incidents of sabotage in Europe, but no evidence currently supports this theory.
• The fire has highlighted vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, with experts emphasizing the importance of securing sites like substations.
• The National Cyber Security Centre has previously warned of risks to UK infrastructure from state-aligned adversaries, particularly in the context of ongoing geopolitical tensions.