Russia on Monday threatened to strike British military facilities and said it would hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons amid sharply rising tensions over comments by senior Western officials.

Russia on Monday threatened to strike British military facilities and said it would hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons amid sharply rising tensions over comments by senior Western officials about possibly deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine.

After summoning the British ambassador to the Foreign Ministry, Moscow warned that Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory with U.K.-supplied weapons could bring retaliatory strikes against British military facilities and equipment on Ukrainian soil or elsewhere.

The remarks came on the eve of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration to a fifth term in office and in a week when Moscow on Thursday will celebrate Victory Day, its most important secular holiday, marking its defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

  • Rimu@piefed.social
    51·
    7 months ago

    Russia on Monday threatened to strike British military facilities

    This is equivalent to USA threatening to strike North Korean, Iranian or Chinese facilities (all of whom have been arming Russia). No such threats have been made.

    Just so we’re clear who’s escalating things.

    • Shampiss@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      38·
      7 months ago

      It’s just a media game

      Every time Russia says “there will be consequences” they’re just throwing threats around like a dog barking from the other side of a fence

      All their cards are on the table. The only things they could pull off are drafting more people or going nuclear

      They’re now scrambling to find soldiers from other nations because announcing another draft would obviously shake Putin’s control over Russia

      I just wish Europe would stop playing this war like a political game. SEIZE RUSSIAN MONEY! What are you afraid of? Ruining relations with Russia? Fuck off! Ukraine won’t have people to fight forever

      • cygon@lemmy.worldEnglish
        25·
        7 months ago

        So true. By this point, Russia is already using everything it can, short of an actual, hot war with the west. And their military is stretched to the limit already without that.

        I think this sabre rattling is still useful to them as a one-two-tactic:

        1. Public threat from Russia, mentioning but not directly threatening nukes (the “push” side)
        2. Russia-aligned media in the west publish articles saying “Putin’s threat should be taken seriously,” Russia-aligned western politicians smearing their opponents as “irresponsible war mongers”, followed by pushing for existing sanctions to be lifted, etc. (the “pull” side via stooges/crooked politicians)
      • Churbleyimyam@lemm.eeEnglish
        23·
        7 months ago

        SIEZE RUSSIAN MONEY!

        This is exactly what they should do. But they won’t, because most of it is held in the City of London’s offshore boltholes. Seizing anything from them would scare the shit out of every big-time capitalist and corrupt politician on the planet. Would be good for us though.

    • c10l@lemmy.worldEnglish
      13·
      7 months ago

      It’s not equivalent. Russia is at war with Ukraine. The USA and the UK are, in theory, not a part of this war - at least not directly.

      It’s the equivalent of Ukraine threatening the countries arming Russia, if those countries decided to get more directly involved in the war.

    • rayyy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      8·
      7 months ago

      Times are tough for Russia. Putin has put a lot of his resources into cheaper alternatives like threats and cyber warfare. He is hoping, and aiding with psyops, his ally stooges, the House Putin faction and Donald Von Shitzinpantz to steal the presidency soon.