An ally of Putin said he has ‘every right’ to attack NATO countries. (Image: Getty)
A senior Russian official has warned that is within his rights to target countries backing amid rising tensions over military aid to Kyiv.
Andrey Kartapolov, who leads the defence committee in ‘s State Duma, argued that Western arms supplies allowing attacks on Russian soil entitle Moscow “every right to strike military facilities in NATO countries” aiding .
Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin added, “Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has made a decision that we fully support”.
He hailed the strategy as “an appropriate ,” accusing the US and its European allies of “using missiles to strike Russian territory.”
He added: “Our country has the right to target military facilities of states that attack us. Despite Western claims that will not dare to act, it will-and it has every right to do so.”
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Ukraine recently used UK-provided Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory. (Image: Getty)
These statements follow a significant intensification in the conflict as has recently employed Storm Shadow missiles from the UK to hit targets inside .
In retaliation, deployed its hypersonic “Oreshnik” missile, hitting a military site in ‘s Dnipro region.
President Putin boasted about ‘s new hypersonic capabilities, declaring the Oreshnik missile’s successful combat debut to the world.
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The missile has a top speed of Mach 10, or 10 times the speed of sound (about 7,000 mph), and the ability to outmanoeuvre sophisticated Western defence mechanisms.
While NATO allies remain wary amid surging tensions, Hungarian Defence Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky has allowed to be positioned in Hungary’s northeast, close to due to unprecedented escalatory threats.
has condemned the West for seemingly capitulating to Putin’s strategy: “What is needed are strong actions that will force him to peace, not persuasion,” Zelensky demanded.