The Wargame podcast: Fictional prime minister addresses the nation after Russia launches attack
Imagine you turn on the TV or radio and hear the British prime minister deliver an address to the nation, announcing that the UK has come under armed attack from Russia...
Tuesday 17 June 2025 05:22, UK
The prime minister of a fictional British government is preparing to deliver an address to the nation after the UK came under armed attack from Russia in the latest episode of The Wargame podcast.
Were this happening for real, it would mark the most significant public broadcast by any British leader since the Second World War.
"Am I actually going to do it?" Sir Ben Wallace asks, breaking briefly from character in the new podcast series by Sky News and Tortoise.
The former Conservative defence secretary is playing the part of the prime minister, leading a team of fellow former top politicians and military and security chiefs in the scenario.
The British side is pitched against an imagined Kremlin.
The Russian attack has triggered a state of emergency in the UK.
Normal, everyday life has stopped. People across the country are being told to stay at home. Travel is restricted and the UK airspace has been closed.
The threat of a new wave of attacks is very real.
Read more:
The Wargame podcast: What if Russia attacked the UK?
Needing to inform the public about what is going on and how the UK is fighting back, the prime minister is told that he really is going to deliver an address.
He exits a Cobra crisis meeting and enters a small radio booth for the broadcast.
The address to the nation is a key moment in episode 3 of The Wargame podcast series by Sky News and Tortoise, which is released on Tuesday along with episode 4.
The first two episodes were released last week and the fifth episode is out next week.
The scenario is designed to test the UK's defences after decades of cost-saving cuts. It also explores the reliability of Britain's NATO allies, in particular the United States.