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Russia has warned the United Kingdom that if Ukraine uses British weapons to strike Russian territory, Moscow could retaliate against British military assets. 

On Monday, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs relayed the message to British Ambassador Nigel Casey, who was summoned following remarks by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron. Cameron had previously stated that Ukraine was justified in using British-supplied weapons against Russian targets.

In a statement, Russia’s foreign ministry said, “Casey was warned that in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory with British weapons, any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and abroad” could be targeted. They added, “The Ambassador was called upon to reflect on the inevitable catastrophic consequences of such hostile steps by London and immediately refute the belligerent provocative statements of the head of the Foreign Office in the most decisive and unambiguous way.”

Despite Russian claims of summoning Casey, the UK denied such an event, characterizing the encounter as a regular diplomatic meeting. According to the UK, during the meeting, Ambassador Casey reiterated “the UK’s support for Ukraine in the face of unprovoked Russian aggression.”