OVER BY TEATIME War-ready Russia could wipe out the British Army’s only fighting unit in one afternoon, report reveals

Experts believe Britain could now deploy little more than a brigade of 5,000-10,000 war-ready troops

HUGE defence cuts mean a ‘competent enemy’ like Russia could now completely destroy the British Army’s only fighting unit in ONE AFTERNOON, a new report has warned.

An army think-tank has said years of continual budget cuts mean Britain’s ability to stay an effective fighting force has been ‘effectively removed’.

The British Army has been hit by years of budget cuts

Putin’s Russia has ploughed billions into its military

The paper, compiled after two days of seminars attended by serving and retired army officers and academics, is a startling insight into Britain’s ability to respond to a Russian attack.

It  states cuts have resulted in a ‘hollowing out or depletion of the army’s capabilities’, especially when faced with a severe threat, reveals the Sunday Times.

Worryingly, it discusses the possibility of losing the army’s whole ‘division in an afternoon’.

And although it admits Britain is not at immediate risk of a direct attack it adds the country could easily be dragged into battle by its allies.

The report explains: “This raises an important question: is the British Army ready for such a possibility?

“If one merely sees preparedness through net manpower and kinetic force capacity, the answer might be a simple ‘no’: the British Army is at its smallest and has faced years of budget cuts.”