Ukraine war

Russia threatens to attack British targets

The Kremlin wants to target British "military targets" (pictured: vehicles of the UK's light mechanized brigade) should Ukraine fire on Russian territory with British weapons.(Bild: APA/AFP/Adrian DENNIS)

While the USA is insisting that the Ukrainian armed forces only use US-made missiles against targets in the war-torn country itself, the British government is leaving it up to Kiev to decide how the supplied weapons are used. This was recently confirmed by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron. Moscow is now threatening to attack British military targets.

The British ambassador in Moscow, Nigel Casey, had been warned by the Foreign Office that the "response to Ukrainian attacks with British weapons on Russian territory could hit any British military facility and equipment on Ukrainian territory and beyond", it was reported on Monday.

According to the British news agency PA, Foreign Secretary Cameron emphasized during his visit to Kiev on Thursday that it was up to the Ukrainian government to decide how to use the weapons supplied. Russia had attacked Ukraine and Ukraine had the right to strike back. When asked whether this included targets in Russia itself, he said: "This is a decision for Ukraine and Ukraine has this right."

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered nuclear weapons exercises involving the air force, navy and soldiers stationed near Ukraine on Monday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the exercises as Russia's reaction to statements by French President Emmanuel Macron and other Western politicians on the possible deployment of ground troops in Ukraine.