Moscow warned on Wednesday that it was considering "military options" as a possible response to the latest Ukrainian attacks on targets deep inside Russian territory, while accusing the West of direct and indirect involvement in them, reports "Reuters:
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Interfax news agency that "all options are on the table" when asked how Moscow would respond to the strikes on nuclear-capable Russian bombers. "This is a matter for our military," Ryabkov added, urging the US and Britain to restrain Ukraine to avoid further escalation.
The claims come after Ukrainian officials hailed the weekend operation as proof that Kiev could still strike strategic targets inside Russia, more than three years after the war began.
Moscow said Ukraine had blown up a rail and road corridor to Crimea, as well as a road bridge over a passenger train. Kiev has not officially commented on the bridge attacks, but both sides regularly accuse each other of terrorism and obstructing peace talks.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the West of providing weapons, target coordinates and moral support for Kiev's strikes. "These are all elements that prove complicity - direct and indirect - and guilt of the West for the terrorist attacks carried out by the Kiev regime against civilians and civilian infrastructure," she said.
Meanwhile, the White House said that President Donald Trump was not informed in advance of the drone attacks. And a British government official said that London was not informed either. At the same time, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine warned that Kiev's actions could lead to a "significant escalation" of the conflict.