Russia Accuses NATO and Ukraine of Developing Weapons Targeting Russian Territory

Russia has accused NATO of cooperating with Ukraine on projects aimed at developing weapons capable of carrying out extensive strikes against airbases located within Russian territory.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated she reviewed information published on official websites affiliated with NATO structures, including the alliance's representation office in Ukraine. These sources revealed tenders for the development of advanced weapon systems that utilize "experiences from ongoing military operations" in Ukraine against Russia, according to Russia Today.

Zakharova added that these projects involve creating means capable of "delivering large-scale strikes and disabling Russian airports and airbases for extended periods deep within Russian territory." She described this as a "serious escalation" in NATO's stance.

The spokesperson warned that the increasing connection between Ukraine and NATO through "reckless aggressive activities" provides the Russian military, in her words, with additional justification to target facilities involved in the development and production of weapons used against Russia.

Zakharova also indicated that Moscow will continue to monitor developments related to this issue, cautioning that the alliance is "sliding towards a high level of risk" through what she characterized as attempts to turn Ukraine into a "testing ground" for Western weapons.

Russian Attacks Cause Casualties in Southern and Eastern Ukraine

In a related statement, the Russian official accused Ukraine of trying to push NATO into a direct military confrontation with Russia. She claimed Kyiv seeks to compensate for what she described as the deterioration of its battlefield situation. Furthermore, she asserted that conducting long-range strikes using Western systems could not occur, from the Russian perspective, without direct support from military experts of the supplying countries, including planning and providing intelligence data via satellite systems.