Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at her weekly news conference in Moscow that attacks against Russia would be met with a response, adding that British military facilities and equipment could be targeted in Ukraine and other countries.
Zakharova said the United Kingdom had been sending Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine since 2023. Claiming that London planned to provide Kyiv with information to be used in the production of these missiles, Zakharova alleged that the Ukrainian military had occasionally used them to attack Russian territory.
Zakharova reiterated that British military facilities and equipment could be targeted in response to attacks she said had been carried out with British weapons, adding that those who commit war crimes against civilians would be punished.
Zakharova accused France, the United Kingdom and Germany of inciting tensions over Ukraine. She argued that London and Paris were trying to conceal their responsibility for attacks on Russian territory by providing Ukraine with certain military systems.
Opposed deployment of NATO troops
Arguing that the United Kingdom was involved in the war in Ukraine, Zakharova called on the government in London to abandon its aggressive approach toward Russia.
Zakharova also addressed the possibility of deploying NATO troops to Ukraine, calling such a step unacceptable. She claimed that these forces would prolong the war in Ukraine and prevent a long-term solution, adding that foreign troops would become legitimate military targets.
Sharp response to Stubb
Zakharova strongly criticized Finnish President Alexander Stubb over remarks that Ukraine's drone attacks on Russian infrastructure were increasing the cost of the war for Russia and should be supported.
Zakharova said Stubb could be described as a terrorist if he considered attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure justified. She said hostile actions by Finland and other unfriendly countries would not go unanswered, adding that Russia would respond proportionately in line with its national interests.
No new proposal from Ukraine
Zakharova also addressed a statement by Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, that Russian and Ukrainian delegations could meet in September. Zakharova said she could not confirm the information and that no new proposal for resolving the crisis had been received from Ukraine.
Zakharova also alleged that the Ukrainian military had carried out attacks on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the nearby city of Enerhodar, accusing the authorities in Kyiv of engaging in nuclear blackmail and endangering the security of Europe and the world.
Comments on Armenia and Syria
Zakharova argued that political forces opposed to the government in Armenia were being subjected to pressure, claiming that the European Union was turning a blind eye to the situation and using Armenia against Russia. She described Armenia's attempt to benefit both from the Eurasian Economic Union, of which it is a member, and from integration with the European Union as unethical.
Zakharova also commented on the death sentences handed down by a Damascus court against eight defendants, including deposed leader Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad and his cousin Atef Najib, for the killing of civilians and torture resulting in death.
Recalling that Bashar al-Assad had sought refuge in Russia, Zakharova said Assad's acceptance in Russia had no political significance and that the decision had been made on humanitarian grounds. She argued that Assad and his family were in danger because of the change of power in Syria.
