Vladimir Putin poised to attack Britain and has identified 'legal targets' as ex-Kremlin chief describes the UK as 'evil number one'

Thank you for subscribing!

Former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer warned some Nato members believed Russia could launch an attack 'as soon as 2030'

The former deputy foreign minister of Russia said Britain is "evil number one" as the Kremlin has reportedly identified "legal targets" across the UK.

Senior advisor to Vladimir Putin Andrei Fedorov claimed the "highest levels of the Russian government" were considering a "hybrid attack" as pressure ramps up.

Mr Fedorov also said he could not "100 per cent exclude" the possibility of "semi-military" action against Britain in retaliation, raising the prospect of an attack on British drone factories from "unknown sources."

While the 71-year-old stressed the Kremlin would not launch an outright military strike against Britain, he was critical of Westminster's support for Kyiv.

He told Mail on Sunday: "The UK is evil number one. After the information that UK-made drones were used against Russian oil refineries, this has become a big anger in Russian society.

"Various experts are calling to punish by strike the UK and it will be supported by the majority of Russian citizens."

Mr Federov pointed to Andy Burnham's plans to hand Ukraine blueprints for long-range Storm Shadow missiles, which are manufactured by the British arms company MBDA, which employs 4,000 people and has its headquarters in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

He said: "'Many experts in Moscow are saying yes, [MBDA] is a legal target. Absolutely."

Among the targets touted by the Kremlin is a drone factory owned by a British-Ukrainian firm, Ukrspecsystems.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday night, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said: "The reckless rhetoric and attempts at intimidation we have seen from the Kremlin in recent weeks reflects the weakness of Putin's position and we will not be intimidated.

"This has been a bad year for Putin. The front line has barely moved. Russian casualties continue to mount. The Russian people are paying a heavy price for Putin's war.

"It is also in our national interest that Putin's aggression must not be rewarded. The Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and I are working together to mobilise support for Ukraine ahead of winter."

Russia has already been linked to incidents in the UK, including an arson attack on a warehouse in east London in 2024 and the attempted murder of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in 2018.

Western officials on Friday said there was a need for "vigilance" about hybrid threats, but added: "Our assessment remains that Russia isn’t seeking direct confrontation with Nato."

In June, then-prime minister Sir Keir Starmer warned the UK and other Nato countries believed Russia could launch an attack on the alliance "as soon as 2030".

Meanwhile, Russia continues to attempt to escalate the war within Ukraine with further strikes on its energy infrastructure.

However, this weekend it it emerged that a pro-Kremlin Telegram channel, has called for attacks on the Tapa Nato base in Estonia, where 900 British soldiers are stationed.

The channel, ATO Donetsk, is known in Moscow as a favourite of Russian troops.

It said: "We won't fly over Britain, but the Tapa military base houses about 900 British troops, equipment and ammunition depots.

"It's only 150km [93 miles] from Russia. The Baltics are a very convenient target for a show trial."

The threats from Russia follow Mr Burnham’s visit to Kyiv on Monday, during which he announced the UK would provide Ukraine with blueprints for long-range Scalp missiles.

That decision drew strong condemnation from Russia, with President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying it would add “fuel to the fire” of the conflict.