Putin vows to respond if Ukraine uses long-range missiles to strike Russia as army chiefs plan ‘range of responses’

VLADIMIR PUTIN has vowed to deed backmost if Ukraine uses long-range missiles to onslaught Russia.

His service chiefs are drafting up plans for a slew of chilling responses if the West lifts restrictions connected Kyiv's rocket permissions.

Dictator Putin confirmed contiguous that if Ukraine is allowed to occurrence the long-range rockets into Russian territory, it would people an enactment of warfare by NATO and helium would person to deed back.

The seething tyrant said: "Our subject section is reasoning astir this and volition connection assorted options."

He doubled down connected erstwhile threats - asking whether the West had heard his earlier informing that usage of British, French oregon American missiles would beryllium seen arsenic a declaration of war.

Putin told authorities press: "They didn’t archer maine thing astir this, but I anticipation they heard, because, of course, we volition person to marque immoderate decisions for ourselves too.

“The constituent is not whether idiosyncratic volition beryllium allowed oregon not allowed to usage this limb against Russia.

“Ukrainian troops cannot usage these weapons connected their own.”

He claimed that immoderate strikes against targets heavy wrong Russia by Ukraine could lone beryllium made with adjacent Western involvement, specifically the usage of satellites which Kyiv does not have.

“Only NATO specialists tin bash this, due to the fact that this requires abstraction reconnaissance, which Ukraine people does not have,” helium said.

“We recognize this -  specialists are needed who volition participate formation missions based connected this reconnaissance information and execute a full bid of different actions.

“The Ukrainian service cannot bash this connected its own. Therefore, what is happening present is each being done by NATO officers.

“The lone question is whether they volition let themselves to onslaught heavy into Russian territory oregon not.

“And, naturally, we volition person to respond to this accordingly.

“How to react, when, wherever exactly, well, it is excessively aboriginal to speech astir this.

“But, of course, our subject section [the Russian defence ministry] is reasoning astir this and volition connection assorted options for answers.”

Mad Vlad made akin threats successful September erstwhile Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited US President Joe Biden successful Washington DC.

He said: "This would successful a important mode alteration the precise quality of the conflict... It would mean that Nato countries are astatine warfare with Russia.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called for his counterparts successful the US and UK to assistance support for shooting long-range rockets implicit force lines.

At the infinitesimal Ukraine has entree to British Storm Shadow and American ACATMS missiles - but are constricted successful their use.

Kyiv argues that it needs to onslaught Russian aerial bases, ammunition depots and different cardinal subject targets to decently fend disconnected Putin's attacks.

It says it needs to beryllium capable to instrumentality retired Russian bomber fleets which driblet lethal "glide bombs" connected Ukrainian targets.

So acold Kyiv has lone been capable to usage Western long-range rockets against targets successful occupied Crimea and immoderate different regions annexed illegally by Russia.

The US and UK person held backmost connected loosening permissions due to the fact that of a fearfulness of retaliation.

There are concerns that Putin's truthful acold bare threats implicit atomic revenge could beryllium realised if Western weapons struck targets connected his soil.

Kremlin hardliners could besides propulsion for attacks against rocket strongholds successful Nato countries - specified arsenic an airbase successful Poland.

This would invoke Nato's Article 5 communal defence clause - triggering a wider warfare with Russia.