Russia warns of 'direct confrontation' with NATO

Russia warns of 'direct confrontation' with NATO

• Such an act risks triggering direct military conflict between Russia and the West

Vladimir Putin on Friday warned of a 'direct confrontation' with NATO as he threatened to destroy or disrupt US spy drones flying over the Black Sea.

Such an act risks triggering a direct military conflict between Russia and the West.

A statement issued today in Moscow by Putin's new defence minister Andrey Belousov instructed his armed forces general staff to 'take measures to respond promptly to provocations' involving US surveillance dronesover the Black Sea.

A separate warning from the Putin regime claimed Western leaders are falling into 'the abyss of direct armed confrontation with Russia' - a likely nuclear conflict.

The Russian defence ministry 'noted an increased intensity of flights of US strategic unmanned aerial vehicles over the waters of the Black Sea, which carry out reconnaissance and targeting of precision weapons supplied to the Ukrainian armed forces by Western countries in order to strike Russian facilities'.

This 'demonstrates the increasing involvement of the United States and NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine on the side of the Kyiv regime.

The Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, Andrey Belousov, has instructed the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to take measures to respond promptly to provocations.

The current tension in the Black Sea was highlighted in recent days when a US Global Hawk high-altitude surveillance drone was buzzed over neutral waters in the Black Sea by at 52,500 ft by a supersonic Russian MiG-31 in a high-altitude manoeuvre.

The drone operators evidently returned it to its base in Italy, while the crew of the MiG-31 reportedly received honours.

Separately, an RAF RC-135 radio-technical reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft was escorted this week by no less than four British Typhoon fighters as it overflew the Black Sea.

Both episodes have been highlighted by Russian pro-war channels which are strongly urging Putin to act against flights they see as directly related to targeting and deployment of Western missiles inside Putin's territory as well as in invaded areas of Ukraine.

Belousov - seen as uber-close to Putin - did not specify what he meant by 'measures to respond promptly' to Western spy drone flights which are taking place multiple times each week.

By way of warning, Russia released footage of a close encounter of its Su-35S with a US MQ-9 Reaper unmanned plane, possibly over Syria this week.

'The Russian pilot, demonstrating high professionalism, took the necessary measures in time to prevent the collision,' said the ministry, warning of 'more dangerous approaches and subsequent turbulence for coalition drones'.

InMarch last year, an American MQ-9 Reaper was downed by Russia in the Black Sea.

Its tail propeller was struck by the Russian warplane which had earlier discharged fuel on the unmanned flyer.

America branded the incident - a 'brazen violation of international law', blaming the Russians for 'an unsafe and unprofessional intercept'.

Separately, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov warned Putin-controlled state TV in Moscow of the dire risk of the current strains in relations between Russia and the West turning into nuclear war.

'Let's call a spade a spade, the classic, old, previous reading of nuclear deterrence did not work properly,' he told propaganda show host Olga Skabeyeva - aka Putin's Iron doll.

'We [recently] saw the president [Putin] order an exercise to develop practical skills in the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.

'This in itself is a signal that is read not only by military professionals, nor only by diplomats, but, I really hope, by the general public in Western countries, which condones their leaders in a completely irresponsible, dangerous course that is pushing Western countries into the abyss of direct armed confrontation with Russia.'

Ryabkov threatened: 'We have never agreed with the Americans in their idea of a limited nuclear war.

'We have always said that if it comes to the use of nuclear weapons on the battlefield, it will be very difficult to control the further scenario, and the further course, and the further path of escalation.'

He said: 'We must do everything to prevent a slippage there, because I deeply believe that it is impossible to ensure a limited nuclear war and victory in it.

Russia is highlighting an incident where US-supplied deadly ATACMS missiles targeted Sevastopol - in occupied Ukraine - at the weekend.

One of the cluster munition missiles exploded off acrowded beach in the naval city, triggering panic among sunbathers.

Four people were killed, including two children, and 153 wounded.

The Russians immediately alleged that a Global Hawk was involved in this strike.

In fact, it appears that those killed and wounded were hit by debris from a Russian air defence missile targeting the ATACMS.

The ATACMS is seen as falling in the sea rather than on the beach.