Russia has issued one of its fiercest warnings yet to Britain, threatening to strike UK military sites “inside and outside Ukraine” as tensions over Western support for Kyiv surge.
Moscow accused the UK and France of “playing with fire”, furious over plans to help Ukraine produce long‑range missiles using British and French technology. Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, claimed Britain’s actions risked dragging the conflict to a “new level” and vowed retaliation if Ukrainian forces hit Russian territory with British‑made weapons.
Zakharova warned that any British military facilities or equipment linked to Ukraine could become targets, insisting London was “one step away” from being complicit in what she called “terrorism” against Russian civilians.
The Kremlin’s anger erupted after UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that Britain would release blueprints for components used in the French Scalp missile, the sister system to the UK’s Storm Shadow cruise missile, allowing Ukraine to work with France to build its own version.
Russia claims the move is adding “fuel to the fire”, accusing Britain of deliberately escalating the war and seeking to inflict “maximum damage” on Moscow by proxy.
Burnham, speaking in Kyiv, hit back sharply: “Who started the fire? That’s the question, isn’t it?”
The Kremlin’s threats come amid rising fears in Western intelligence circles that Russia may be preparing to test NATO’s resolve – with warnings ranging from cyber‑attacks to small‑scale incursions in Europe.
As Moscow ramps up its rhetoric, the UK insists it will continue supporting Ukraine “100 percent” in its fight against Vladimir Putin’s invasion