Russia has warned that it may strike British military targets in and outside Ukraine. They will be in response to Ukrainian attacks on targets in Russia using British long-range cruise missiles, reports "Reuters".
The warning, made by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova at a briefing in Moscow, has been made before, but not so categorically.
Zakharova said that London was only "one step" away from becoming a legal accomplice - in Moscow's eyes - to what she called "terrorism" against Russian civilians, and warned of "inevitable catastrophic consequences" unless Britain changes course.
Her reference to "terrorism" was related to the use of Franco-British Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles by Ukraine to hit targets in Russia or targets in eastern Ukraine that Russia claims as its own.
"We have repeatedly warned that any British military facilities and equipment in Ukraine and beyond its borders could be attacked in response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory carried out with British weapons", Zakharova said.
"We suggest that the British leadership once again carefully analyze the situation and immediately, in the most decisive and unambiguous way, abandon the hostile, aggressive line that can only create the risk of escalating the conflict to a completely new level", she said.
A British Ministry of Defense spokesman said that London stands "shoulder to shoulder" with Ukraine and is committed to providing the equipment Kiev needs "to defend itself against (President Vladimir) Putin's illegal invasion".
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"Russia should not doubt the determination of this government to oppose Russian aggression in Ukraine and against the United Kingdom and our allies," the spokesman told Reuters.
Western analysts said the force of Moscow's warning reflected Russian fury at Britain's decision - made public on Monday - to allow Kiev access to classified technology to begin its own production of Storm Shadow cruise missiles capable of striking deep into Russia.
The Kremlin said on Monday that Britain was methodically adding "fuel on the fire" after the announcement.
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France has already agreed to license the technology for the European missile, and Zakharova on Thursday threatened Paris as well.
She said France and Britain were "playing with fire" by supplying sensitive missile technology to Ukraine, something she said could have unpredictable consequences.
She also took aim at British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, saying he seemed to think he had a mandate to escalate and had chosen the most dangerous path when it came to Ukraine.
Zakharova issued her warning a day after Russia accused Ukraine of fired British Storm Shadow missiles at a shopping mall in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine in an attack that reportedly injured civilians, including children.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine and "Reuters" could not independently verify details of the attack.
Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilians. Thousands of civilians have been killed since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022.
Far more Ukrainian civilians have been killed than Russians - according to UN figures - but Kiev has escalated its campaign against targets in Russia this year, and the Conflict Intelligence Team, an independent group that tracks the war, estimates that a total of 327 civilians were killed in Russia in the first seven months of the year, the highest recorded toll since the war began.