Explosions have been heard in three Russian provinces close to the Ukrainian border overnight, as the Kremlin accused Britain of “provoking” Kyiv into launching attacks on Russian soil.
Multiple blasts were reported in the Belgorod region, 24 miles from Ukraine, which regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov blamed on an ammunition depot catching fire in the early hours of this morning.
Mr Gladkov said the blaze at the village of Staraya Nelidovka had been extinguised and there were no civilians injured.
It followed an attack by helicopters on a fuel depot in the Belgorod region on 1 April, which Russia blamed on Ukrainian forces using Tochka-U tactical ballistic missiles.
Writing on Telegram, Roman Starovoyt, the governor of Russia’s Kursk province, said explosions heard in Kursk city were probably the sounds of air defence systems firing.
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Russia’s TASS news agency reported that two blasts were also heard in Voronezh, the administrative centre of another province adjacent to Ukraine.
Air defense systems spotted and shot down a surveillance drone, the region’s governor Alexander Gusev claimed.
This morning, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab hit back after Russia suggested it could target British military installations over its support for Ukraine, branding the Kremlin’s claim “unlawful”.
Maria Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, had indicated that Nato states providing weapons to Ukraine could be hit in strikes.
It came after Defence Minister James Heappey backed Ukraine’s right to attack Russian logistical and military targets following explosions in the city of Bryansk, adding it was “not necessarily a problem” for Ukraine to use UK-supplied weapons.
Ms Zakharova said: “Do we understand correctly that for the sake of disrupting the logistics of military supplies, Russia can strike military targets on the territory of those Nato countries that supply arms to the Kyiv regime?
“After all, this directly leads to deaths and bloodshed on Ukrainian territory. As far as I understand, Britain is one of those countries.”
In a statement quoted by the Interfax news agency, the Russian defence ministry said: “We would like to stress that the direct provoking by London of the Kyiv regime into such activities [attacking Russian territory], should there be an attempt to realise them, will immediately lead to our proportional response.”
Asked about Russia suggesting Britain could become a legitimate target, Mr Raab said Moscow’s statement is “unlawful and what we’re doing is lawful”.
Speaking on Sky News, Mr Raab said: “International law is very clear on this. We are entitled to provide military support to any state exercising the right of lawful defense against an aggressive invasion.
“And frankly, if Russia starts threatening other countries, it only adds further to their pariah status. It will only further the solidarity and the consensus of the international community that they must be stopped.”
Mr Heappey told Times Radio it is “completely legitimate for Ukraine to be targeting in Russia’s depth in order to disrupt the logistics that if they weren’t disrupted would directly contribute to death and carnage on Ukrainian soil”.
He said it was “not necessarily a problem” if British-donated weapons are used on Russian soil, given the weapons supplied to Ukraine have the range to be used over borders.
Downing Street said Mr Heappey was speaking on behalf of the Government but argued deciding on the location of strikes was a matter for Ukraine.
