Russia says UK ‘playing with fire’ amid reports CIA chief has warned Kremlin not to attack Nato

Original article by Peter Beaumont and Jessica Elgot

Russia has said it could retaliate against the UK for its support of Kyiv by striking military targets inside and outside Ukraine, amid reports that the director of the CIA warned the Kremlin against attacking Nato during a secretive visit this week.

Andy Burnham, Britain’s prime minister, said on Monday the UK would allow Kyiv access to classified technology to start ⁠its own production of Storm Shadow ​long-range ​cruise missiles. France has also agreed to supply missile technology. Maria ⁠Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Thursday Britain and France were “playing ⁠with ​fire”.

Responding to the latest Russian threats, a Ministry of Defence official reiterated UK support for Ukraine. “Britain stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and we are committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against Putin’s illegal invasion. Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this government to stand against Russian aggression, in Ukraine and against the UK and our allies,” they said.

The Wall Street Journal reported that a visit by John Ratcliffe, the CIA chief, to Moscow on Tuesday had followed a US intelligence assessment that Russia could be planning to test Nato with a limited assault on an allied country. This could range from a cyber-attack to a small-scale incursion, probably in a Baltic nation.

Russia has made frequent threats against Ukraine’s western allies during the war, including thinly veiled nuclear threats and others apparently aimed at diplomatic missions in Kyiv.

Asked ‌to comment ‌on the reports of Ratcliffe’s visit – and despite Thursday morning’s threat against UK targets – Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, said: “A lot of this kind of scare-story material is being published right now. Of course, it has ‌nothing to do with reality and nothing to do ​with the intentions of the Russian Federation.”

The intense scrutiny around the Ratcliffe trip and Russia’s intentions comes amid a new report over shortfalls of missile interceptors available in Europe.

A report by the Associated Press says the US military is experiencing a “beyond critical” shortage of advanced missile interceptors in Europe largely driven by Donald Trump’s war with Iran, according to a US defence official in Europe and a Nato official, raising concerns about vulnerabilities in Nato countries to a potential Russian attack.

The US defence official said the most concerning shortfall involved Patriot missile interceptors, which can shoot down Russia’s high-speed ballistic missiles. The Nato official confirmed the low inventories of Patriots among American and Nato forces in Europe. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.

Russia is believed to be contemplating a further escalation of its war with Ukraine after months of escalating Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s oil refining infrastructure and other sites, which are imposing an increasing economic toll.

The Kremlin has adopted ever more bellicose rhetoric, much of it aimed at a domestic audience, as the war in Ukraine has been brought to its doorstep.

In the space of a few days Russia has invoked the threat of its nuclear arsenal against Japan over its territorial claim to the disputed Kuril Islands. It has described relations with the US as a “crisis” and at a historic low point.

Ratcliffe’s reported warning mirrored one made by his predecessor, William Burns, in 2021 before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine – which Moscow also denied it was contemplating.

Concerns over Moscow’s intentions have been increasing amid a rise in incidents of Russian hybrid warfare attributed to Moscow across Europe, from cyber-attacks and drones to arson, at facilities associated with supporting Ukraine’s war efforts.

Russia and the US have tried to play down Ratcliffe’s meeting with his Russian counterparts: Trump on Wednesday described the visit as “semi routine”. However, the unusual nature of the encounter has caused intense speculation in the west and Russia.

The US president continued to play down the encounter on Thursday, telling Axios that Ratcliffe had arrived in Moscow with “no message” and claiming there was “nothing unusual” about the meeting.

Asked later by reporters about reports about the CIA director Ratcliffe had delivered a warning to Russia, Trump replied: “I don’t want to comment on that, but they’re not going to attack.”

Nato countries neighbouring Russia have moved quickly to increase their military readiness. Poland this week announced it had taken delivery of its first shipment of South Korean Black Panther main battle tanks, which will be deployed near the border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region.

Cezary Tomczyk, Poland’s deputy defence minister, said this month Warsaw was preparing for the possibility of a full-scale conflict.

Tomczyk told Super Express media: “We are preparing for war, hoping it never happens.”