Russia on Monday threatened to strike British military facilities and said it would hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons amid sharply rising tensions over comments by senior Western officials.

Russia on Monday threatened to strike British military facilities and said it would hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons amid sharply rising tensions over comments by senior Western officials about possibly deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine.

After summoning the British ambassador to the Foreign Ministry, Moscow warned that Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory with U.K.-supplied weapons could bring retaliatory strikes against British military facilities and equipment on Ukrainian soil or elsewhere.

The remarks came on the eve of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration to a fifth term in office and in a week when Moscow on Thursday will celebrate Victory Day, its most important secular holiday, marking its defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

  • Shampiss@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    281·
    8 months ago

    It’s just a media game

    Every time Russia says “there will be consequences” they’re just throwing threats around like a dog barking from the other side of a fence

    All their cards are on the table. The only things they could pull off are drafting more people or going nuclear

    They’re now scrambling to find soldiers from other nations because announcing another draft would obviously shake Putin’s control over Russia

    I just wish Europe would stop playing this war like a political game. SEIZE RUSSIAN MONEY! What are you afraid of? Ruining relations with Russia? Fuck off! Ukraine won’t have people to fight forever

    • Churbleyimyam@lemm.eeEnglish
      24·
      8 months ago

      SIEZE RUSSIAN MONEY!

      This is exactly what they should do. But they won’t, because most of it is held in the City of London’s offshore boltholes. Seizing anything from them would scare the shit out of every big-time capitalist and corrupt politician on the planet. Would be good for us though.

    • cygon@lemmy.worldEnglish
      19·
      8 months ago

      So true. By this point, Russia is already using everything it can, short of an actual, hot war with the west. And their military is stretched to the limit already without that.

      I think this sabre rattling is still useful to them as a one-two-tactic:

      1. Public threat from Russia, mentioning but not directly threatening nukes (the “push” side)
      2. Russia-aligned media in the west publish articles saying “Putin’s threat should be taken seriously,” Russia-aligned western politicians smearing their opponents as “irresponsible war mongers”, followed by pushing for existing sanctions to be lifted, etc. (the “pull” side via stooges/crooked politicians)