Russia names four UK locations as targets and warns strikes could ‘become a reality’

Russia has issued a direct threat to four UK locations that it says have been aiding Ukraine and contributing to ‘dragging’ Europe into the conflict.

Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and Vladimir Putin’s deputy head of security council, released a list of 23 sites he says are now in the crosshairs of the Russian armed forces for supporting Ukraine in the production of attack drones.

In a post on X, he wrote: ‘Russian Defense Ministry’s statement must be taken literally: the list of European facilities which make drones & other equipment is a list of potential targets for the Russian armed forces.

‘When strikes become a reality depends on what comes next. Sleep well, European partners!’

The UK locations identified were Reading, street addresses in London and Leicester, and a road running through the RAF base in Mildenhall, Suffolk, which is predominantly used by the United States Air Force and commonly referred to as its ‘gateway to the United Kingdom’.

The firms it claims are involved were named as Fire Point and Horizon Tech.

A statement from the Russian defense Ministry said that a number of European countries were ramping up the supply of drones to enable Ukraine to strike Russia ‘in the face of growing losses’.

It claimed funding was being increased for the production of attack drones, and parts needed to manufacture them, across various European states.

The statement continued: ‘We consider this decision to be a deliberate step leading to a sharp escalation of the military and political situation on the entire European continent and creeping transformation of these countries into a strategic rear for Ukraine.

‘The implementation of the scenarios of terrorist attacks against Russia by the alleged Ukrainian UAVs, stated by the Kiev regime, leads to unpredictable consequences.

‘Instead of strengthening the security of European states, the moves of European leaders are increasingly dragging these countries into the war with Russia.

‘The European public should not only clearly understand the underlying causes of the threats to their safety, but also know the addresses, as well as the location of “Ukrainian” and “joint” companies producing UAVs and their components for Ukraine in their countries.’

Last month, one of Vladimir Putin’s biggest enemies also warned the UK faces another Salisbury poisonings-style attack if it doesn’t challenge Russia.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky is in hiding in the UK after spending a decade in Siberian prison for publicly challenging the Russian president.

He told The Guardian: ‘The goal […] would not just be to get rid of certain people but to create a sense of vulnerability in the west. Like it was in Salisbury. It’s not important whether the victim dies or not, what’s important is that the sense of vulnerability has been created.

‘People in the Kremlin aren’t stupid, they’re quite creative. They’ll be thinking of new ways of doing something. What is clear is that there is going to be some kind of pressure and it will take a similar form [to Salisbury].’

He added that Putin had ‘chosen the UK’ as his main enemy.