Russia has warned that British support for Ukraine could ‘lead to a collision between nuclear powers’ in a grave threat as President Vladimir Putin vowed to launch more hypersonic missiles at targets in Ukraine.
Andrey Kelin, Russia’s ambassador to the UK, cited American support for Ukraine to use Western missiles against targets in Russia, backed by Britain and France, in his warning that ‘this seriously escalates the situation’ and ‘can lead to a collision between the nuclear powers’.
The Kremlin suggested this week it was ‘entitled’ to fire upon ‘the military targets of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities’ in a thinly-veiled threat to the West, after the US gave its support for Kyiv using ATACMS missiles against Russian and North Korean forces in Russia.
After striking the Ukrainian city of Dnipro with an experimental hypersonic missile early on Thursday, Putin ordered the mass production of the ‘unstoppable’ Oreshnik, believed to be able to reach Britain in under 20 minutes.
‘There is no countermeasure to such a missile, no means of intercepting it, in the world today. And I will emphasise once again that we will continue testing this newest system. It is necessary to establish serial production,’ Putin said.
A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile being launched as part of nuclear deterrence forces drills in Russia on October 29, 2024
Putin has said he will fire more of Russia ‘s new hypersonic missiles at targets in Ukraine
Russian Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launchers roll on Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9
Russia’s Ambassador to Britain Andrei Kelin, takes part in an interview for ‘Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg’ in London, Britain October 18, 2024
Amid rising fears of escalation, Ambassador Kelin told Sky News that Britain was now ‘directly involved’ in the war in Ukraine after its Storm Shadow missiles were reportedly used to strike targets inside Russia.
British long-range missiles were reported to have been greenlit for use and then used after the US gave approval for Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles.
‘Absolutely, Britain and UK is now directly involved in this war, because this firing cannot happen without NATO staff, British staff as well,’ Mr Kelin told the outlet.
‘The US administration, support[ed] by France and the UK, has made a deliberate decision to make these strikes, which seriously escalates the situation, and it can bring a collision between the nuclear powers.’
The Pentagon, likewise, has told Ukraine that North Korean targets reinforcing Russian lines within Russia are ‘fair target’.
The Kremlin, however, did claim it was making ‘maximum effort’ to avoid a nuclear conflict after it updated its nuclear doctrine this week.
The new policy allows Putin’s strategic forces to deploy their devastating weapons if Russia or Belarus is threatened by a non-nuclear nation supported by a nuclear power.
Threats that could warrant a nuclear response from Russia’s leadership include an attack with conventional missiles, drones or other aircraft, according to the updated document.
‘We have stressed in the context of our doctrine that Russia is taking a responsible position to make maximum effort not to allow such a conflict,’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added Thursday.
Putin has also said that Moscow will carry out more tests of the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile in ‘combat conditions,’ a day after firing one on Ukraine.
‘We will continue these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and character of the security threats posted to Russia,’ he said in a televised meeting with military chiefs.
Putin said that while it isn’t an intercontinental missile, it’s so powerful that the use of several of them fitted with conventional warheads in one attack could be as devastating as a strike with strategic – or nuclear – weapons.
Russia fired the new-generation missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro early Thursday in a major escalation of the weaponry being deployed in the nearly three-year conflict.
The Kremlin boss also ordered the missile, which flies at speeds of Mach 10 – 10 times the speed of sound – to be put into serial production. Russia is developing similar advanced systems, he added.
‘We need to begin serial production. The decision… has in effect been taken,’ Putin said, praising the ‘particular strength of this weapon and its power.
The moment Russia used the Oreshnik for the first time to strike Dnipro, on November 21
