Vladimir Putin's mouthpiece warns UK is 'directly involved' after Storm Shadow missiles used

Andrei Kelin, the Russian ambassador to the UK, was asked if helium believed the UK had been dragged into the warfare aft its Storm Shadow missiles were utilized to onslaught targets

Russia's ambassador has issued a chilling informing to Britain, claiming they are present "directly involved" successful the Ukraine war aft its Storm Shadow missiles were utilized to onslaught targets.

Ukraine fired respective American-supplied longer-range missiles into Russia connected Tuesday aft US president Joe Biden gave the green-light for Kyiv to usage the weapons. Just days later, British Storm Shadow missiles were fired into Russia by Ukraine aft Keir Starmer followed Biden's policy.

Following the alteration successful policy, Andrei Kelin, the Russian ambassador to the UK, was asked if helium believed the UK had been dragged into the war. He said: "Absolutely, Britain and UK is present straight progressive successful this war, due to the fact that this firing cannot hap without NATO staff, British unit arsenic well."

When pressed connected the quality betwixt Russia utilizing North Korean troops, Chinese and Iranian technology, and whether they were besides progressive successful the warfare too, Mr Kelin said determination were overseas fighters connected the Ukranian side. Speaking to Sky News' Mark Austin, helium said: "On that subject, I tin accidental easy that we person plentifulness of mercenaries from antithetic countries that are warring close present connected the broadside of Ukraine. We conscionable person seen successful the Kursk country of the Polish unit, which has a peculiar azygous worn by Polish soldiers. So what's the matter?"

Before this week, the UK had said British anti-tank missiles, subject instrumentality and tanks could beryllium used, but refused to fto long-range missiles beryllium utilized - which was Biden's argumentation too. It comes aft Ukraine claimed Thursday that Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic rocket overnight astatine 1 of its cities. If confirmed, it would beryllium the archetypal clip Moscow has utilized specified a limb successful the war.

Ukraine did not supply immoderate grounds that an ICBM was utilized successful the onslaught connected the cardinal metropolis of Dnipro, seemingly equipped with accepted warheads. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a rocket utilized “matches the velocity and altitude” of an ICBM. The Kremlin refused to remark connected the strike.

The onslaught comes successful a week erstwhile tensions person repeatedly soared, arsenic the U.S. eased restrictions connected Ukraine’s usage of American-made longer-range missiles wrong Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin lowered the threshold for launching atomic weapons.

The scope of an ICBM — which tin transcend 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles) — is beyond what is needed to onslaught Ukraine. But specified missiles are designed to transportation atomic warheads, and the usage of one, adjacent with a accepted payload, would service arsenic a chilling reminder of Russia’s atomic capability. It besides appears to nonstop a connection to Ukraine’s Western allies that Moscow has the quality to people them.