The former director of the Special Forces has said the UK should "prepare for war" as a "precautionary measure" against Russia.

General Sir Adrian Bradshaw made the comments after General Sir Patrick Sanders, the new head of the army, told British soldiers that they were a generation that had to prepare "to fight once again in Europe" as the conflict in Ukraine continued.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today program, Sir Adrian said: "Yes, he is absolutely right.

"The point is, by preparing for war properly, by building a really strong prevention, we will stop the war."

"You know, (Vladimir) Putin has shown us that he is prepared to take the risk of getting involved in open war in Europe.

"He is doing this in Ukraine, with terrible, terrible consequences."

"What we absolutely need to ensure is that he does not see a way, an opportunity to launch something against NATO to his advantage."

"We must not give him that opportunity, and what General Saunders is saying is something that military commanders have been saying for a thousand years - if you want peace, prepare for war."

One of his statements comes a day after the British military chief told his troops they had to "prepare to fight once again in Europe" in a bid to defeat Vladimir Putin's forces.

According to Sky News, the Telegraph reports, General Sir Patrick Sanders, who took over from General Sir Mark Carleton Smith a few days ago, warned the soldiers about the challenges they faced in the midst of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

"There is now an imperative to create an army capable of fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle," Sir Patrick was quoted as saying.

The comments from the British representatives come at a time when NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that Russia's war in Ukraine could last for years.

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