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Russia lines up British drone factory and missile firm as 'legal targets' for hybrid attack, ex-Kremlin aide warns

John Ratcliffe reportedly also urged Moscow to scale back its military and economic support for Iran during the eight-hour unannounced visit.
John Ratcliffe reportedly also urged Moscow to scale back its military and economic support for Iran during the eight-hour unannounced visit.
Vladimir Putin boarded the missile cruiser Varyag off Sakhalin island, threatening to detain British and European commercial vessels in retaliation for Western seizures of Russian shadow-fleet tankers.
Vladimir Putin boarded the missile cruiser Varyag off Sakhalin island, threatening to detain British and European commercial vessels in retaliation for Western seizures of Russian shadow-fleet tankers.

Ex-Russian deputy foreign minister Andrei Fedorov has warned that the Kremlin's inner circle is planning a hybrid campaign against Britain — preferring sabotage or arson to any military action, in order to avoid triggering a Nato Article 5 response. Among the designated targets he identified was a drone factory adjacent to RAF Mildenhall in West Suffolk, operated by British-Ukrainian firm Ukrspecsystems. The warning follows PM Andy Burnham authorising Ukraine's access to British Storm Shadow cruise missile technology. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting dismissed the threats as 'reckless rhetoric' reflecting the 'weakness of Putin's position'.

Fedorov said: 'The UK is evil number one' — Moscow's anger is reported to spring from British-made drones striking Russian oil refineries.

The warning coincides with Putin's meeting with Lukashenko in Belarus and the test-firing of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile, a move analysts interpreted as a signal to the West.

Poland's President Donald Tusk has cautioned that Russian escalation 'is progressing' and that 'the next six months will be decisive'.

MoreDaily MailVladimir Putin meets Belarus' Lukashenko as fears of attack on NatoThe SunMoment Putin unleashes nuclear-capable ballistic missile in chilling warning to West after CIA visit to MoscowDaily MailRussia is poised to attack a British drone factory and missile companyThe TimesIs Russia going to launch an attack on Nato?AOL News UKRussia lines up targets in advance of strikes on UK as ex-Kremlin aide reveals Putin hit list
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