Russia could order attacks on British troops deployed abroad as tensions between London and Moscow escalate, a former Moscow correspondent has warned. Writing for the i Paper, James Rodgers cautioned that the Kremlin is weighing up how to exercise its self-declared "right to act" against the UK following Britain's deepened support for Ukraine.
Warning follows Kyiv visit and missile announcement
The warning comes after Prime Minister Andy Burnham made a defiant visit to Kyiv, coinciding with an announcement that defence firm MBDA will allow Ukraine to domestically assemble long-range Scalp missiles, also known as Storm Shadows. Rodgers warned that Putin's retaliation for Britain's deep-strike support could endanger UK military personnel stationed abroad.
The author and journalist said: "Russia's response could include attempts to target British troops overseas. Were Russia to feel bold enough to strike at a Nato country, British troops in the Baltics could even be a target."
Lavrov threats and rising tensions
The warning follows menacing threats made on Russian state TV by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the eve of the Prime Minister's trip. Speaking on the Moscow. Kremlin. Putin. programme, he said: "I feel sorry for Britain if it intends to stand with Ukraine to the very end. President Vladimir Putin has warned them that we have the right to act anywhere across the world's oceans if someone infringes on our interests or threatens our property."
British security services are already dealing with ongoing Russian sabotage campaigns, including arson, cyberattacks and damage to undersea infrastructure. A confrontation in the English Channel in June, where a Russian warship fired warning shots at a civilian yacht, demonstrated that confrontation at sea is becoming an alarming possibility.
Diplomatic ties and historical resentment
Diplomatic ties between the two nations have hit rock bottom after reports that the Russian ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, left his post in July and has yet to be replaced. According to Rodgers, Russia's escalating aggression toward the West stems from deep-seated resentment following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Recalling a lunch with Kelin in Brussels in 1993, Rodgers said Russian diplomats at the time couldn't even afford to buy British diplomats a meal because the embassy was broke. He said: "The sense of humiliation Russia suffered then has since grown into a desire to not only be respected, but feared." With Ukrainian drone strikes already disrupting petrol supplies inside Russia and hitting major logistics hubs like retailer Wildberries, he cautioned that a humiliated Putin will be eager to strike back hard.
