Putin warns he will send allies long-range missiles in striking distance of West after weapons sent to Ukraine

6 June 2024, 10:08 | Updated: 6 June 2024, 10:09

Vladimir Putin has warned that he will send long-range missiles in striking distance of the West after several countries stepped in to helped bolster Ukraine's defensive arsenal.

Putin hit out at the West's decision to allow Ukraine to use more powerful weapons against him, saying the move was a serious escalation.

He said it could draw the West towards a war with Russia.

The response will be to shoot down the missiles, Putin said, specifically mentioning the US ATACMS as well as British and French missile systems.

He added that Moscow is also considering deploying similar long-range missiles close enough to strike the countries that have allowed Ukraine to strike Russian territory.

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"If someone thinks it is possible to supply such weapons to a warzone to attack our territory and create problems for us, why don't we have the right to supply our weapons," he said.

"The response can be asymmetric. We will think about it."

It comes after President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light to launch some US-supplied weapons at military targets inside Russia.

However, the US still prohibits Kyiv from striking Russia with ATACMS, which have a range of up to 186 miles.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron, also said last month that Ukraine had a right to use the weapons provided by Britain to strike targets inside Russia.

"Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it's defending itself," Lord Cameron said.

French President Emmanuel Macron, previously said that the West would "legitimately" have to consider whether to send ground troops to Ukraine "if the Russians were to break through the front lines, if there were a Ukrainian request".