Any attempt to do so would invoke an immediate “proportional” response, Moscow warned.
The Russian Defense Ministry has accused London of a “direct provocation” after British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey encouraged Ukrainian forces to use UK-supplied weapons to attack targets inside Russia. Any attempt to do so would invoke an immediate response, the ministry warned in a statement on Tuesday.
“We want to emphasize that London’s direct provocation of the kyiv regime for such actions, should they attempt to do so, will immediately lead to our proportionate response. As we have warned, the Russian armed forces are on standby 24 hours a day to retaliate with high-precision, long-range weapons against decision-making centers in kyiv.” the military warned.
The ministry went on to say that “advisors to one of the Western nations” located in these centers “will not necessarily be a problem” in Russia’s decision-making regarding retaliatory measures.
Earlier in the day, Heappey said kyiv may use UK-supplied weapons to launch attacks on Russian soil, dismissing fears this could lead to an international escalation.
“It is entirely legitimate for Ukraine to target deep within Russia to disrupt logistics that, if not disrupted, would directly contribute to death and carnage on Ukrainian soil.” Heappey told Times Radio.
The UK has been among kyiv’s main arms suppliers, sending thousands of anti-tank missiles to the country ahead of the large-scale Russian military operation that began in late February. Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced an additional £100 million ($130 million) heavy weapons package for kyiv, including anti-aircraft weapons, drones and several armored vehicles.
Moscow has warned the West not to increase arms supplies, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying the conflict has effectively turned into a “power war” of NATO against Russia. The country’s military has repeatedly attacked depots where these supplies are stored and will continue to do so, he said.
“These weapons will be a legitimate target for the Russian Armed Forces,” Lavrov declared. “Warehouses, including in western Ukraine, have become such a target more than once. In what other way? NATO essentially goes to war with Russia through a proxy and arms that proxy. War means war.”
Russia attacked the neighboring state after Ukraine failed to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, signed in 2014, and Moscow’s eventual recognition of the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The Minsk Protocol negotiated by Germany and France was designed to give breakaway regions special status within the Ukrainian state.
Since then, the Kremlin has demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join the US-led NATO military bloc. kyiv insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked and has denied claims it planned to retake the two republics by force.