Keir Starmer today insisted Britain only supplies weapons to Ukraine for ‘self-defence’ after Storm Shadow missiles were fired on Russia for the first time.
The PM accused Vladimir Putin of wanting ‘destruction not peace’ as he defied threats from the Kremlin.
The statement in the Commons came as experts have cautioned that the UK should expect ‘more sabotage and subversion’ after the West scaled up support for Kyiv.
Russia this morning apparently fired an intercontinental ballistic missile as part of reprisals against targets in Ukraine.
It came the day after Kyiv’s forces battered a Russian command headquarters in the Kursk region with British Storm Shadows.
Updating MPs after attending the G20 summit in Rio, Sir Keir stopped short of explicitly confirming the weapons had been used.
But he said the UK had ‘doubled down’ on its support. ‘While Brazil made finding solutions to hunger and poverty the focus of its presidency, in recent weeks Russian missiles have continued to rain down on civilian ships carrying grain bound for Africa. It could not be more clear: this is a man who wants destruction not peace,’ he said.
‘And after 1,000 days of war, 1,000 days of Ukrainian bravery and sacrifice, I am clear that we must double down in our support. We will not be deterred or distracted by reckless threats.
‘We have consistently said we’ll do what it takes to support Ukraine and put it in the best possible position going into the winter.
‘The UK’s support for Ukraine is always for self-defence, it is proportionate, co-ordinated, agile and a response to Russia’s own actions and it is in accordance with international law.’
The Storm Shadow missiles struck a building with an underground ‘control room’ where Russian and North Korean military officials are believed to be holed up
Britain is braced for a backlash from Putin today after Storm Shadow missiles were fired on Russia for the first time
The fallout comes as Defence Secretary John Healey is set to face a grilling from MPs about decommissioning a swathe of military kit early – with the ‘cuts’ described by critics as ‘pure folly’
Fragments of the missiles that struck a military facility in the Russian town of Maryino were recovered by bloggers yesterday, with unverified pictures shared widely on social media.
The Mail understands the attacks, which followed Ukraine firing US-supplied ATACMS missiles on Tuesday, were personally approved by Keir Starmer.
Matthew Savill, military sciences director at the RUSI think tank, warned that the US and UK should expect ‘more sabotage, subversion and Russian disruption, both at home and potentially abroad (e.g. against Middle Eastern interests)’.
‘We should never be blasé about the nuclear risk, but that seems incredibly extreme,’ he told The Times.
‘We could see other forms of escalation and retaliation. The UK security community will be on its guard. They are not afraid to use lethal force or violence overseas or to attempt sabotage.’
Ukraine’s air force reported that an ICBM had been fired from a base in Russia’s southern Astrakhan region on the Caspian Sea early this morning – the first time Russia has used such a powerful, long-range missile during the war.
The air force did not specify which ICBM had been fired, but its launch comes mere hours after a Russian military analyst said Moscow’s forces could unleash its fearsome RS-26 ‘Frontier’ missile in retaliation for the Storm Shadow strikes.
The Frontier missile is a nuclear-capable weapon weighing roughly 50 tonnes with a range of up to 3,600 miles.
It has never before been used in combat, but analysts said it could be deployed with a conventional warhead in a strike that Ukraine’s air defences would be powerless to intercept.
Kyiv has not suffered an ICBM strike since the war began in February 2022, with Russia’s military deploying smaller, slower Iskander missiles and a handful of hypersonic Kinzhal projectiles alongside hundreds upon hundreds of attack drones.
The head of MI5 warned last month that Russian agents are determined to cause ‘sustained mayhem on British and European streets’.
The government is said to be moving to bolster critical infrastructure, such as power stations and data hubs.
Labour announced cuts to the UK’s defence capabilities yesterday as tensions with Russia rose.
Some 31 frontline helicopters and a pair of Commando assault ships were axed by Mr Healey.
Despite the domination of drones on the Ukrainian battlefield, the UK is to lose a staggering 46 Watchkeeper Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
A Royal Navy frigate and a pair of ‘fast fleet tankers’, which provide fuel for aircraft carriers, are also being chopped as part of the jaw-dropping plans.
Defence sources said the cuts delivered entirely the wrong message to Britain’s enemies and allies such as the US.
The timing was also challenged as it coincides with the US ramping up its support for Ukraine – and as other NATO members are boosting their military capabilities.
One senior naval figure remarked: ‘Try telling Donald Trump these helicopters and ships were getting old and were costing more to repair, he’ll only hear that Britain is making cuts’.
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