Russia warned Britain on Monday that if British weapons were used by Ukraine to strike Russian territory then Moscow could hit back at British military installations and equipment both inside Ukraine and elsewhere.

Russian officials claimed the order was in response to comments from the West about the possibility of more direct Western involvement in the war in Ukraine.

Lord Cameron has said Ukraine "absolutely has the right" to use British-supplied weapons as it wishes, including to strike targets inside Russia, a potential step which the Russian foreign ministry claimed would have "catastrophic" consequences.