Vladimir Putin-led Russia on Thursday warned that it could strike British military targets “inside and outside Ukraine” in a response to Ukrainian attacks using British-supplied missiles.The warning came from Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s visit to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Ukraine’s Independence Day.Zakharova urged Britain to back away from what she called London’s hostile approach towards Russia, warning that it risked taking the conflict to an “entirely new level”.Speaking at a briefing in Moscow, she also accused Britain and France of “playing with fire” by supplying sensitive missile technology to Ukraine.Earlier, security sources cited by the Daily Mail warned that Russia could mount a “direct response” against Britain amid concerns in Whitehall that Moscow may have underestimated Burnham’s commitment to Ukraine.The warning follows Britain’s decision to provide Ukraine with blueprints for British-made components used in the Storm Shadow cruise missile, allowing Kyiv to produce the long-range weapon domestically.Moscow reacted angrily to the move, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying on Monday that Britain’s involvement was preventing “even the slightest progress” towards peace.Britain announced on Monday that it would grant Kyiv access to classified technology to begin domestic production of Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles, capable of striking deep inside Russia. France has also agreed to license the technology for the European missile.
