Russia has threatened strikes on British military facilities in “Ukraine and beyond” and plans nuclear drills in reaction to remarks by U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron and other Western officials. Moscow summoned British ambassador to the Russian Federation Nigel Casey in “strong protest” to Cameron’s recent discussion with Reuters “about Ukraine’s right to strike Russian region using British weapons,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated in a statement released on Monday.
“Casey firmly indicated that D. Cameron’s hostile attack directly negates the previously sounded assurances of the British side when moving long-range cruise missiles to the Kyiv regime, that under no possibilities would they be used on Russian territory,” the statement persisted. “Thus, the head of the Foreign Office denied this position, de facto recognizing his country as a party to the conflict.”
The ministry stated that the Russian side “views D. Cameron’s words as evidence of a severe escalation and confirmation of London’s growing involvement in military operations on the side of Kyiv.” “N. Casey was cautioned that the response to Ukrainian strikes using British weapons on Russian territory could be any British military installations and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and beyond,” the ministry stated. “The Ambassador was called upon to consider the inevitable catastrophic effects of such hostile steps from London and to directly refute most decisively and unequivocally the belligerent provocative statements of the head of the Foreign Office.”
The statements came on the eve of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration to a fifth term in office and in a week when Moscow on Thursday will commemorate Victory Day, its most important secular holiday, marking the downfall of Nazi Germany in World War II. Drills simulating the usage of battlefield nuclear weapons come in reaction to “provocative statements and threats of specific Western officials regarding the Russian Federation,” Russia’s Defense Ministry also stated in a statement. It was the first time Russia has publicly declared drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, although its strategic nuclear forces regularly carry exercises, according to the Associated Press.
Tactical nuclear weapons include air bombs, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery munitions and are suggested for use on a battlefield. They are slightly less powerful than the strategic weapons — massive warheads that arm intercontinental ballistic missiles and are intended to obliterate whole cities.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric voiced concern that various parties have been talking about issues concerning nuclear weapons more and more recently. “Current nuclear risks are at an alarmingly high level,” Dujarric expressed. “All actions that could lead to miscalculation, escalation with disastrous consequences, must be avoided.”
The Russian announcement was a caution to Ukraine’s Western allies about becoming more intensely engaged in the 2-year-old war, where the Kremlin’s forces have achieved an upper hand amid Ukraine’s shortage of force and weapons. Some of Ukraine’s Western partners have previously voiced concern that the conflict could dribble beyond Ukraine into a war between NATO and Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated last week that he does not exclude sending troops to Ukraine, and Cameron stated Kyiv’s forces will be able to use British long-range pikes to strike targets inside Russia. Some other NATO nations providing weapons to Kyiv have withdrawn at that possibility. “Ukraine has that right. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite comprehend why Ukraine feels the need to make certain it’s defending itself,” Cameron told Reuters last week.
The Kremlin ingrained those comments as dangerous, heightening pressure between Russia and NATO. The war already has put significant strain on relations between Moscow and the West. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated Monday that Macron’s recent announcement and other remarks by British and U.S. officials had provoked the nuclear drills.
