The ambassador of the Russian Federation to the UK, Andrei Kielin, has said that the authorities in London are “directly involved” in the war in Ukraine because British Storm Shadow missiles were used to attack targets on Russian territory. The claim was made during an interview for the Sky News. 

Media reports said anonymous sources, that Ukraine had fired Storm Shadow missiles at targets in Russia for the first time. London has provided Kyiv with these missiles but has so far restricted their use to attacks inside Ukraine only.

Referring to these reports, Kielin stated that ‘the UK is now directly involved in this war’. He assessed that the launching of missiles could not take place without the participation of “NATO personnel and also British personnel”.

The ambassador refused to answer a question about Russia’s use of Chinese, Iranian and North Korean equipment and technology, as well as the use of North Korean troops during the fighting. Instead, he accused Ukraine of using the services of “many mercenaries from different countries”.

In the past Russian authorities have repeatedly accused Poland of sending mercenaries to Ukraine. 

The Russian ambassador said that the Russian military detected a “Polish unit” that wore “special uniforms of the Polish army” and therefore the military cooperation of Russia and other authoritarian states is “the same”. 

Tomasz Modrzejewski

Photo: X @Inevitablewest