Russia lashes out at UK, France over Ukraine missile technology transfer

Russia lashes out at UK, France over Ukraine missile technology transfer Moscow warns of potential strikes on British military targets, urging London to change its stance on supporting Kyiv Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Russia could strike British military targets inside and outside Ukraine in response to Ukrainian strikes on Russia using British missiles. Zakharova called on Britain to back off what she called London’s hostile stance on Ukraine, which she said risked taking the conflict to an entirely new level. She had told the same Moscow news briefing earlier that Britain and France were “playing with fire” by supplying sensitive missile technology to Ukraine. Britain announced on Monday it would allow Kyiv access to classified technology to start its own production of Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles, capable of carrying out strikes deep within Russia. France has already given its assent to licence the technology for the European missile. Also on Thursday, the Kremlin dismissed US media reports that Russia could attack a Nato member state and that the purpose of US CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow this week had been to warn Russia against such a move. Asked to comment on the reports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “A lot of this kind of scare-story material is being published right now. Of course, it has nothing to do with reality and nothing to do with the intentions of the Russian Federation.” [Image text:] EXCELLENCE STORM SHADOW /SCALP MBDA SEAVENOM/ANL