Russia’s UK WW3 risk uncovered as Kremlin threats dominated as ‘army doctrine’
Western officials say Russia is not seeking a direct Nato confrontation, even as former Russian foreign minister Andrei Fedorov refused to rule out ‘semi-military’ hybrid attacks against Britain
More threats from the Kremlin(Image: Contributor, Getty Images)
Western officials have attempted to downplay the possibility of a confrontation between Russia and Nato following a week of repeated warnings from the Kremlin. Recent days have witnessed senior Moscow figures accusing Ukraine’s allies, including the UK, of “playing with fire”, with Russia’s former foreign minister hinting that British drone manufacturing facilities could face attacks from “unknown sources”.
On Friday, Western officials described the warnings as “not a new phenomenon” but rather part of “long-standing Russian military doctrine” that attempts to deploy “hostile rhetoric” to “exploit fears” and shape policy decisions.
They continued: “We do need to be careful to distinguish what is real from what is rhetoric designed to scare and deter us. Replaying Russian threats and heightening a sense of crisis is exactly what the Kremlin wants.”
It’s been ruled as ‘military doctrine’(Image: MIKHAIL METZEL, POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The Russian warnings follow Andy Burnham’s trip to Kyiv on Monday, where he revealed the UK would supply Ukraine with blueprints for long-range Scalp missiles. That announcement prompted fierce criticism from Russia, with President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov claiming it would add “fuel to the fire” of the conflict.
Former Russian foreign minister Andrei Fedorov also stated he could not “100% exclude” the possibility of “semi-military” action against Britain as payback, suggesting potential “hybrid” strikes. Russia has previously been implicated in incidents on UK soil, including a 2024 arson attack on an east London warehouse and the attempted assassination of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in 2018.
Western officials on Friday emphasised the need for “vigilance” regarding hybrid threats, but maintained: “Our assessment remains that Russia isn’t seeking direct confrontation with Nato.”
In June, then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a warning that the UK and other Nato nations believed Russia could instigate an assault on the alliance “as soon as 2030”.
Simultaneously, Russia persists in its efforts to intensify the conflict within Ukraine through additional attacks on its energy infrastructure.
However, Moscow is also grappling with internal pressure due to Kyiv’s retaliatory strikes on Russian fuel refineries and battlefield losses believed to exceed recruitment by 6,000 soldiers per month.
