United Kingdom in February 2026: the most important developments in security
In the United Kingdom in February 2026, the most prominent security story was the arrest of the former Prince Andrew on 19 February on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, in connection with the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Police probed whether he provided confidential documents. He was released a few hours later and was then released under investigation, having been questioned at a London police station. He has not been charged, and the investigation continues.
The Epstein inquiry extended in several directions. Police opened a criminal investigation into Peter Mandelson over alleged leaks of government information to Epstein and on 6 February searched two London properties linked to him. On 23 February Mandelson was arrested and released on bail. Police also investigated Epstein's private flights into Stansted Airport, and on 26 February the Defence Secretary ordered a search of records on allegations that Epstein trafficked women through Royal Air Force bases.
The UK stepped up its role on Ukraine. It opened its first defence plant for Ukraine on British soil, and a drone factory for the Ukrainian military opened at the Mildenhall site. On 24 and 25 February the Ministry of Defence and the Defence Secretary said preparations had begun for a possible troop deployment to Ukraine, and the UK was training Ukrainian combat helicopter pilots. Russia said British troops in Ukraine would raise the risk of a major conflict and be a legitimate target, and claimed that the UK and France planned to supply Ukraine with nuclear weapons. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would accept such weapons but had received no proposals.
On Iran, the UK sanctioned its interior minister and other officials on 2 February over the crackdown on protesters. President Donald Trump said on 18 February the US might need to use a UK military base against Iran if nuclear talks failed, and reports said the UK had declined a request to authorize strikes. On 28 February the UK said it had not conducted strikes on Iran and was ready to protect its interests in the Middle East.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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