Kremlin warns 'a collision between the nuclear powers' is imminent as West fires missiles into Russia
by Charlie Duffield · LBCBy Charlie Duffield
Russia has said British support for Ukraine could "lead to a collision between nuclear powers" in a grave threat.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
This is because President Vladimir Putin tried to set up more hypersonic missiles at targets in Ukraine.
According to The Daily Mail, Andrey Kelin, Russia's ambassador to the UK, said American support for Ukraine to use Western missiles against targets in Russia, backed by Britain and France, was the reason for escalation and "can lead to a collision between the nuclear powers".
This week the Kremlin indicated it was "entitled to fire upon the military targets of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities" in a disguised threat to the West.
The US gave its support for Kyiv using ATACMS missiles against Russia and North Korea forces in Russia.
Read More: Trains, planes and roads in chaos as Storm Bert sweeps UK with 82 mph winds and heavy snow
Following strikes in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro with an experimental hypersonic missile early on Thursday, Putin initiated the large-scale production of the "unstoppable" Oreshnik, which can reach Britain in less than twenty minutes.
Putin said: "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."
With rising fears of escalation, Ambassador Kelin spoke to Sky News and said Britain was now "directly involved" in the war in Ukraine, with its Storm Shadow missiles allegedly due to be used to hit targets inside Russia.
British long-range missiles were reported to have been greenlit for use, and then utilised after the US gave approval for Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles.
Mr Kelin said: "Britain and UK is now directly involved in this war, because this firing cannot happen without NATO staff, British staff as well.
"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."
Similarly, the Pentagon has told Ukraine that North Korean targets re-emphasising Russian lines within Russia are "fair target".
A Kremlin spokesperson added: "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."
In addition, Putin has said Moscow will undertake more tests of the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistc missile in "combat conditions", a day after firing one on Ukraine.
In a televised meeting with military chiefs he said: "We will continue these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and character of the security threats posted to Russia."
He said that it isn't an intercontinental missile, but is so powerful the use of multiple of them fitted with conventional warheads in one attack might be as destructive as a strike with strategic - or nuclear - weapons.
Russia launched the new generation missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro early on Thursday, in a massive escalation.
The missile flies at speeds of Mach 10 - which is 10 times the speed of sound - and the Kremlin boss instructed that the missile be serially produced.
He added that Russia is producing similarly advanced systems.