Russia Threatens UK Soldiers In Ukraine As Legitimate Targets

Russia has warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine are “legitimate targets” following the death of a British soldier.

The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on Wednesday that Lance Corporal George Hooley had died in a “tragic accident” this week.

He was observing Ukrainian forces testing a new defensive capability away from the frontline.

His death marks the first time a British soldier has been killed within Ukraine since the war began in February 2022.

The government praised him for being an “exceptional soldier who will be very deeply missed”.

The UK has revealed little information about what its military personnel are doing in Ukraine, partly to avoid giving Russia material for its propaganda.

But after Hooley’s tragic death was confirmed, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would regard any foreign military contingents in Ukraine as “legitimate targets”.

She also demanded the UK reveal what its troops are doing in Ukraine, saying: “Let the UK government not lie to its subjects.

“Don’t lie about those who are being sent there from the United Kingdom. Those who are sent there, they conduct direct instructions of the UK government in Ukraine.”

Offering no evidence to back up her claims, she said: “They commit acts of sabotage, terrorist acts, extremist tasks as well.”

It’s no secret that Britain, along with other European allies, has been helping Ukraine since Russia invaded, although officials have not declared how many UK troops are in the country.

Zakharova’s new threats come as Nato chief Mark Rutte issued a warning about the real dangers Russia poses to Europe.

Speaking at a security conference event in Berlin, he said Europe should make efforts to prevent a war which could be “on the scale of war our grandparents and our great-grandparents endured”.

He said: “We are Russia’s next target. I feel that too many are quietly complacent. Too many don’t feel the urgency, and too many believe that time is on our side. It is not.

“The time for action is now.”

Rutte claimed Russia could be ready to use military force against Nato in the next five years.

His remarks come after a flurry of diplomatic efforts in recent weeks to secure a new peace deal to end the Ukraine war, led by Donald Trump’s US administration.

Rutte also insisted in his speech that the US and Europe can get on the same page as Ukraine amid growing fears that Washington is going to lean towards a peace plan which rewards Russia for its aggression just to end the war sooner.

Vladimir Putin’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov also hinted at how well Russia was getting on with the US now in comments today.

According to Reuters, he said: “In our negotiations with the Americans on the Ukraine issue, I personally believe that the misunderstandings and miscommunications have been resolved,

“We have conveyed to our American colleagues additional proposals concerning collective security guarantees.

“We understand that when discussing security guarantees, we cannot limit ourselves to Ukraine alone.”