A recent state-controlled Russian television broadcast has escalated tensions by accusing Britain of supplying explosives used in a series of high-profile assassinations within Russia, according to the Express. The broadcast directly blamed UK security services for the deaths of several senior Russian military figures, including Major-General Yaroslav Moskalik, who was killed when a Volkswagen Golf exploded near his home in Moscow. Moskalik, aged 59, was a key military planner who reportedly briefed President Vladimir Putin on operations in Crimea.
The programme also mentioned the deaths of Lieutenant-General Igor Kirillov, 54, a senior chemical and biological warfare officer killed by a bomb in December, and Yevgeny Rytikov, 34, an electronic warfare expert assassinated earlier this month in Bryansk. While no evidence was provided, the broadcast issued a stern warning of retaliation, with Kremlin commentator Vladimir Solovyov stating that “British blood must be spilled” as revenge. Speaking alongside ammunition expert Andrei Klintsevich, Solovyov raised the question of the explosives' origins, to which Klintsevich asserted without proof that “It is all British, imported by the ton.” He claimed that explosives could be traced to their country of manufacture through specific labelling on batches.
Solovyov’s rhetoric included a direct threat: “When we say that British security services are behind every terrorist attack, it means that the blood of the British who authorise the killings on Russian territory must be spilled.” He emphasised a retaliatory stance with the phrase, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” warning that British intelligence officials would “pay personally” for their alleged involvement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to confirm Ukraine's involvement in the recent targeted killings. He stated he had been briefed by his intelligence chief “on the liquidation of individuals from the top command of the Russian armed forces,” thanking his intelligence services for their work.
The accusations add further fuel to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with increasing reports of targeted attacks on military personnel. The Express reports that Russian officials accused British security services of facilitating these attacks by supplying explosives that were reportedly smuggled across Europe.
These developments come amidst heightened international scrutiny and ongoing military confrontations in the region, marking another escalation in the complex and tense relations involving Russia, Ukraine, and Western nations. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has not commented publicly in response to the latest accusations aired on Russian state media.
Source: Noah Wire Services