A ranting Vladimir Putin has threatened a "response" after accusing the UK of direct involvement in the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin chief alleged that British Armed Forces personnel were now helping in the targeting of missiles hitting Russia.
The Russian president went on the offensive on the same day as the outgoing head of the Army, General Sir Patrick Sanders, warned that Britain should be better prepared for a war so large it could kill tens of millions of people.
Putin again threatened to use nuclear weapons if Russia's sovereignty and territorial integrity were compromised, before chillingly warning: “This should not be taken lightly, superficially.”
For the first time, the dictator also warned that Moscow will now supply advanced weapons to enemies of Britain and other Western countries, such as the United States, in response to them providing long-range arms to Kyiv.
These Russian weapons could then be used to harm NATO countries, he said. In a rambling televised interview, Putin accused Britain, the US and France of using their armed forces to target Russian positions linked to the Ukraine war.
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“Ukrainian servicemen cannot do everything on their own and strike with this missile. They are simply technologically unable to do it."
And he added: “The serviceman who is next to it, he does it just automatically - he pushes buttons. He may not even know what will happen next.”
“I repeat, the flight task is formed and … entered only by those who supply these weapons,” he said.
“And in the case of Storm Shadow, it's even simpler.
“The simplicity lies in the fact that the flight task is entered automatically, without the involvement of military personnel on the ground, automatically.
“The British do it, so that's it.”
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Until now, these weapons have been used only to strike Russian-invaded areas of Ukraine, but Kyiv now has permission for strikes inside Putin’s borders.
Putin made clear he was also ready to supply weapons in the way NATO countries had, but in his case to enemies of Britain and other Western counties.
He asked: “What should we do in response?
“First, we will, of course, improve our air defence systems. We will destroy them.
“Second - we are thinking that if someone considers it possible to supply such weapons to a war zone to strike at our territory and create problems for us, then why do we not have the right to supply our weapons of the same class to those regions of the world where they will strike at sensitive facilities of those countries that are doing this to Russia?
“So the response could be asymmetrical. We will think about this.”
"We have a nuclear doctrine, look what it says. If someone's actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we consider it possible for us to use all means at our disposal. This should not be taken lightly, superficially."
Speaking at the D-Day commemorations in France, Sir Patrick, 58, said: "There is every prospect, if you look at the pattern of history, that it could happen again ... I think the importance of this event is it's a reminder that preparedness is absolutely critically important and to do things at this scale, there's a whole-of-nation effort."
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