Putin: It’s a ‘military secret’ whether Russia will strike UK sites

Vladimir Putin has said it is a "military secret” whether or not Russia is weighing up possible strikes on British military sites, in an ominous new warning over the UK’s support for Ukraine.The UK last month agreed to provide Ukraine with blueprints for the Scalp weapon, a version of the British Storm Shadow missile, which Britain has already provided to Kyiv and can be used to hit more targets within Russia itself.Asked how Russia will respond to the decision – and whether he is weighing up possible strikes on UK military sites on British territory – the Russian president said: “That's a secret, a military secret”. He added that “any military facilities in Ukraine are our legitimate target, British or otherwise”. It comes just days after Russia accused the UK of “playing with fire” following Andy Burnham’s approval to let Ukraine access the classified long-range cruise missile tech.It is a ‘military secret’ whether or not Russia is weighing up possible strikes on British military sites, Putin said (AFP/Getty)But hitting back on a visit to Kyiv, the UK prime minister said: "Who started the fire? That’s the question, isn’t it?”, making reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that started the war.Mr Burnham’s visit, his first foreign trip as prime minister, coincides with the 35th anniversary of the country’s independence from the Soviet Union and came as part of an effort to underline his support for Ukraine. Responding to the announcement, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said his country had a right to regard the “direct involvement of British missile forces” as “participation in the war, with all the ensuring consequences”.But in a speech outside Kyiv’s St Sophia cathedral last week, Mr Burnham vowed he would not be deterred from providing aide to Ukraine.He said: “Despite Russia’s outrageous threats to my country, we will continue our support for Ukraine.”During his speech marking Ukraine’s Independence Day, he praised the “sheer strength” of the Ukrainian people and described their country as “Europe’s protector, not a drain on our security, but the front line in keeping Europe safe”.Mr Burnham went on to compare Ukraine’s resistance to Russia to the UK’s fight with Nazi Germany, saying: “My nation kept the flame of European freedom alive in the 20th century, you hold that flame in the 21st.”The latest threat from the Russian president comes as John Healey is under pressure to ramp up Britain’s defence spending at Mr Burnham’s first Budget in the face of mounting Russian aggression and increasing global turbulence. While the chancellor has insisted he is “100 per cent” committed to a target of increasing spending to 3 per cent of GDP, and is now offering a timeline in which he will do so, there are questions over how the increase will be funded. On Tuesday, Mr Healey announced new actions to clamp down on Russia’s evasion of economic sanctions as he called on international allies to help “disrupt the financial networks fuelling Russia’s aggression”.He used his first international meetings with counterparts at the G7 in North Carolina to build an international coalition to target covert Russian networks funding the war in Ukraine.The primary action announced by Mr Healey targets the so-called “A7 network”, which the Foreign Office said was being used by Russia to evade existing restrictions and channel funds to fuel the conflict.On Monday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the government issued the first ever nationwide alert against A7 to support the private sector in bearing down on sanctions evasion.According to the government, the alert aims to disrupt Kremlin-backed networks who have sought to escape economic sanctions through a web of financial structures spanning multiple jurisdictions.It also aims to prevent Russian attempts to regain access to the UK’s financial systems.It was also announced that Mr Healey would double the maximum fine available to the Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation from 50 per cent to 100 per cent of the value of a sanctions breach.“We are ramping up the economic pressure on Putin and leaving those aiding his illegal war with nowhere to hide,” Mr Healey said.“The UK and our allies must step up our international cooperation to expose sanctions evasion, and disrupt the financial networks fuelling Russia’s aggression.“Our commitment to stand with the Ukrainian people is unshakeable. We will bear down on those propping up Putin’s war as we push to secure a just and lasting peace.”