Angered by what it says are “unprecedented” and “provocative” statements by the West, Russia has threatened retaliation “inside and outside Ukraine” as well as plans to conduct military exercises with tactical nuclear weapons, which the European Union has called ” irresponsible”. “
Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated to their lowest level since the end of the Cold War, with Kiev’s Western allies throwing their support behind Ukraine’s fight to repel Russian forces overwhelmingly. .
In the last moves Moscow on May 6 blasted away remarks by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who said Ukraine “has the right” to launch attacks inside Russia with British-made weapons, and called President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks that Paris could possibly send troops to Ukraine to help Kiev in its battle against Russia’s total an “irresponsible and mindless” invasion.
Western allies are “deliberately leading the situation to further escalation of the Ukrainian crisis towards an open military clash between NATO countries and Russia,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. declaration.
The ministry said it had summoned British ambassador Nigel Casey over Cameron’s comments and “strongly pointed out that Cameron’s hostile move is in direct contradiction to the UK’s earlier assurances when handing over long-range cruise missiles to the Kiev regime that under no circumstances would they be used to Russian territory”.
It he said Cameron’s remarks meant that he “de facto recognizes his country as a party to the conflict” and that any use of British weapons on Russian territory could become the target of “any British military installations and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and beyond”.
In a separate declarationThe ministry blasted Macron’s remarks about the potential use of French troops in Ukraine, saying it found them “amusing for their irresponsibility and recklessness”.
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“It is difficult to perceive all of this other than as a statement of readiness and intention to enter into a direct armed confrontation with Russia, which would mean a frontal military clash of nuclear powers,” it added.
A few hours earlier, Russia he announced plans to conduct military exercises to ensure its readiness to use tactical nuclear weapons.
The Defense Department’s announcement is the first time Russia has publicly announced exercises involving tactical nuclear weapons.
A spokesman for the European Commission attacked Russia’s announcement, calling it “saber rattling” and “a continuation of Russia’s irresponsible behaviour”.
A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the move was further “proof that the Kremlin is only interested in further escalating the situation that was caused by its illegal aggression against Ukraine”.
Washington called the nuclear remarks “irresponsible rhetoric”.
“This is an example of the kind of irresponsible rhetoric we’ve seen from Russia in the past. It’s completely inappropriate given the current security situation,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
“We have not seen any change in their strategic force posture… We will of course continue to monitor,” he added.
Strategic nuclear weapons are designed to strike enemy targets far from the front lines, while tactical nuclear weapons are designed for use on battlefields.
The exercise is intended to increase the ability of the Russian military to “ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state in response to provocative statements and threats by individual Western representatives against the Russian Federation,” the statement said without further details.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked by reporters what led to the announcement of nuclear readiness, said: “It is clear that we are talking about the statements of Mr. Macron and the statements of British officials.”
“This is a completely new round of escalation of tensions. It is unprecedented and requires special measures,” Peskov said.
Separately, the governor of the Belgorod region of Russia bordering Ukraine he said on Telegram that seven people were killed and 42 injured by Ukrainian drones near Berezovka, in the Borisov district near the Ukrainian border, when two buses carrying workers to a pig farm were hit by Ukrainian drones.
Ukraine has not commented on the claim, which could not be independently confirmed.
Ukraine has been subjected to almost daily attacks by Russian missiles and drones, which have caused massive damage to its civilian and energy infrastructure and killed and injured many civilians, including children.
In response, Kyiv has targeted energy infrastructure inside Russia, particularly oil refining facilities.
Russia announced on May 6 that its forces had taken control of the settlements of Solovyov in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region and Kotlyarivka in Kharkiv region.
Ukrainian authorities have not acknowledged the potential loss of the settlements, but many Ukrainian bloggers seem to have confirmed that both were taken by Russia.
Ukraine’s air force earlier said it shot down 12 of 13 drones launched by Russia at energy infrastructure targets in the Sumy region. Regional administration he said electricity supply was temporarily interrupted in Sumy, Romniy and Okhtyrka.