Russia threatens retaliation against UK as tensions with NATO escalate

Russia has threatened possible strikes against British military targets as tensions rise over UK support for Ukraine and reports of a US warning to Moscow against attacking NATO.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Britain and France were “playing ⁠with fire” after both countries backed efforts to strengthen Ukraine's long-range missile capabilities.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said this week that Kyiv would receive access to classified technology to produce Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

A UK Ministry of Defence official responded by saying Britain remained committed to supporting Ukraine against Russia's invasion.

The tensions come as The Wall Street Journal reported that CIA director John Ratcliffe travelled to Moscow on Tuesday following a US intelligence assessment that Russia could be considering a limited attack on a Nato country.

Such an operation could range from a cyberattack to a small-scale incursion, potentially targeting a Baltic nation, according to the report.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the claims.

“A lot of this kind of scare-story material is being published right now. Of course, it has ‌nothing to do with reality and nothing to do with the intentions of the Russian Federation,” Peskov said.

US President Donald Trump has described Ratcliffe's unusual Moscow visit as “semi routine”.