Maria Zakharova accused Britain and France of “playing with fire”, reflecting Moscow’s concerns over the growing Western efforts in enhancing Ukraine’s military capabilities.
Russia has issued a fresh warning to Britain and France over their expanding military assistance to Ukraine, accusing the two countries of taking steps that could further escalate the conflict and threatening possible strikes on military targets in and beyond Ukraine.
The warning followed Britain’s decision to provide Kyiv with access to sensitive technology that could enable Ukraine to manufacture Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles within the country. The move is expected to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to carry out long-range strikes without relying entirely on supplies from its Western partners.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, according to The Guardian, accused Britain and France of “playing with fire”, reflecting Moscow’s concerns over the growing Western role in enhancing Ukraine’s military capabilities.
‘Strikes Using British Weapons Could Trigger Response’: Russia Warns UK
💬 #Zakharova: London says it is ready to give Kiev the technology to produce Storm Shadow missiles on its own.
❗️ We have repeatedly warned: strikes using British weapons could trigger a response against UK military facilities in Ukraine & beyond. pic.twitter.com/EeVRhFDO7p
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) August 27, 2026
“London says it is ready to give Kyiv the technology to produce Storm Shadow missiles on its own. We have repeatedly warned: strikes using British weapons could trigger a response against UK military facilities in Ukraine & beyond,” Zakharova added.
The tensions come amid reports of a recent visit by CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow, where he allegedly warned Russian officials against attempting to test NATO’s resolve through a limited attack on one of the alliance’s members.
A report by The Wall Street Journal said the warning was linked to a US intelligence assessment that Russia could be considering a limited operation against a NATO country. Such an attack could reportedly range from a cyber operation to a small-scale military incursion, potentially involving one of the Baltic states.