The Times reported that counter-terrorism detectives from London's Metropolitan Police were hastily deployed to probe whether sabotage might have played a part. The paper's chief reporter, Fiona Hamilton, name-checked Russia in a message on X.
"Counter terrorism police put on Heathrow fire investigation to establish whether or not it is foul play," she wrote. "Any major incident like this is immediately escalated, particularly given threat of sabotage by Russia. Sources say precautionary and CT police often deployed like this."
The BBC
reported that the Met Police said there was "currently no indication of foul play" but officers were keeping an "open mind at this time."
It is standard practice for several departments, including counter terrorism police, to investigate large scale incidents. Even still, British tabloids were more forthright in their finger pointing at the Kremlin. The Mail Online, the
Daily Mail's online offering, asked in their headline: "Is Russia behind Heathrow Airport closure?"
The publication quoted security expert Will Geddes, director and founder of the International Corporate Protection Group, who said: "The Russians are looking at everything. They're looking at our fibre optics under the sea, they're looking at our nuclear power stations, we know hostile reconnaissance is going on right now.
"So for this to be taken down so easily and cause such an impact, one has got to say if I was Russia, that's where I would focus my attentions as well."
Bob Seely, a Russia expert and former Conservative politician in the U.K., said it was "likely" an accident, but added that Russia could not be ruled out. "We should be building resilience into our critical national infrastructure, especially given the rise in Russian sabotage operations in Europe," he told the
Mail.
It comes after Richard Moore, head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service known as MI6, in November
accused Russia of waging a "staggeringly reckless campaign" of sabotage in Europe.
During a speech in Paris, Moore said Putin and his acolytes were attempting "to sow fear about the consequences of aiding Ukraine."
And indeed, the incident attack comes after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged ongoing support to Ukraine.