Russia has warned that it could target British military installations and equipment in and beyond Ukraine, escalating its rhetoric over Kyiv's use of British-made long-range missiles against targets inside Russia.
Reuters reported that Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that the UK was one step away from becoming legally complicit, in Moscow's view, in what she described as terrorism against Russian civilians.
“We have repeatedly warned that any British military installations and equipment in Ukraine and beyond its borders could be targeted in response,” Zakharova said at a briefing in Moscow.
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She urged the British government to abandon what she called its “hostile, aggressive line”, warning that continued support for Ukraine could push the conflict to “an entirely new level”.
There was no immediate response from London. Britain has previously dismissed similar Russian warnings and maintained that it will continue supporting Ukraine in its defence against Russia.
The latest threat comes days after Britain announced that it would allow Ukraine access to classified technology to begin domestic production of Storm Shadow cruise missiles. The weapons, developed jointly by Britain and France, are capable of striking targets deep inside Russian territory.
The Kremlin on Monday accused Britain of “adding fuel to the fire” by expanding its missile support for Kyiv.
Zakharova also criticised France for backing the transfer of missile technology, saying both Britain and France were “playing with fire” and risking unpredictable consequences.
She separately targeted British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, accusing him of choosing what Moscow considers a dangerous path on Ukraine.
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The warning followed Russia's accusation that Ukraine had used British Storm Shadow missiles to strike a shopping centre in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk, allegedly wounding civilians, including children.
Both Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians. According to UN data, Ukrainian civilians have suffered far heavier casualties than Russian civilians since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
However, attacks inside Russia have increased this year, with the Conflict Intelligence Team estimating that 327 civilians were killed in Russia during the first seven months of 2026, the highest rate recorded since the war began.
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