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Moscow issued a stern warning, stating that Russian forces could target British military installations both within Ukraine and beyond its frontiers if Kyiv deploys long-range British cruise missiles against deep targets inside Russian territory, according to reports.
The warning followed an accusation levelled by Moscow a day prior, alleging that Ukraine utilised British Storm Shadow missiles to strike a shopping centre in Russian-controlled Donetsk, resulting in injuries to civilians, including children. Addressing a news briefing in Moscow on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova asserted that Britain was "one step away" from being legally complicit in what she termed civilian-targeted "terrorism", cautioning that failing to alter its course would yield "catastrophic consequences", Reuters reported. Reiterating the Kremlin's stance, Zakharova stated, "We have repeatedly warned that any British military installations and equipment in Ukraine and beyond its borders could be targeted in response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory carried out using British weapons." She further called upon British leaders to "immediately, in the most resolute and unequivocal manner, abandon the hostile, aggressive line" to avert an escalation of the conflict to an "entirely new level." The diplomatic friction unfolded following a visit by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Ukraine on August 24 for Independence Day. During the visit, the UK government announced that a defence contractor might release classified information regarding British components integrated into the long-range SCALP cruise missile, as Ukraine and France pursue the establishment of local assembly lines. The SCALP, representing the French variant of Britain's Storm Shadow missile, possesses a striking range exceeding 155 miles. Meanwhile, amidst the escalating rhetoric, US President Donald Trump minimised fears of a broader conflict during a phone interview with Axios on Thursday, affirming he held no concerns that Russia would launch an attack against a NATO member. (ANI)
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