BRITISH officials are now official Russian assassination targets, Vladimir Putin's deranged crony has warned.
Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of the tyrant and his deputy on the country’s security council, chillingly claimed the UK's support for Ukraine amounted to an "undeclared war" against Russia.
His extraordinary threat comes after Foreign Secretary James Cleverly backed Ukraine’s right to strike targets inside Russia.
Tweeting in English, Medvedev said: “Today, the UK acts as Ukraine’s ally providing it with military aid in the form of equipment and specialists, i.e., de facto is leading an undeclared war against Russia.
“That being the case, any of its public officials (either military, or civil, who facilitate the war) can be considered as a legitimate military target.”
His words pose a threat to any UK government or military official deemed by Russia to be aiding Kyiv in the war unleashed by Putin.
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Medvedev – seen by some as angling for a return as Russian president if Putin is forced out by war failings or ill-health – branded British officials Russia's "eternal enemy".
He added: “The goofy officials of the UK should remember that within the framework of the universally accepted international law which regulates modern warfare, including the Hague and Geneva Conventions with their additional protocols, their state can also be qualified as being at war.”
Mr Cleverly, speaking on a visit to Estonia, a Nato country bordering Russia where UK troops are based, said Kyiv had “the legitimate right to defend itself".
He said: "It has the legitimate right to do so within its own borders, but it does also have the right to project force beyond its borders to undermine Russia's ability to project force into Ukraine itself."
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He appeared to go further than Washington in his support for strikes inside Russia.
A US state department spokesman said America did not back military action in Russia "as a general matter”.
It comes after Ukraine was warned it faced nuclear attack after drones blitzed Moscow – sparking blasts “within earshot” of Putin’s home.
A wave of kamikaze flying bombs targeted posh suburbs of the Russian capital on Tuesday where the tyrant and his cronies have luxury retreats.
The unmanned air strikes came hours after a Ukrainian commander vowed to avenge the latest of a string of Russian air raids on Kyiv.
But Ukraine denied any involvement amid fears that the attacks were another “false flag” ruse ordered by Putin himself to enable him to escalate the conflict.
The Kremlin went on to directly accuse Ukraine of targeting Russia – a claim which backs Putin’s lie that Ukraine and the West bent on destroying his motherland.
Putin said Ukraine was attempting "to intimidate Russia, Russian citizens and attacks on residential buildings".
He said: "We have spoken about hitting command centres (in Ukraine).
"In response, the Kyiv regime has chosen a different path, the path of trying to frighten Russia, frighten the citizens of Russia and of strikes on residential buildings.
"Moscow's air defense system worked normally, satisfactorily, although there is some work to do."
And within hours hardline pro-Putin MPs were baying for a nuclear response.
MP Oleg Nilov said: “Moscow was subject to a drone attack by the Ukrainian terrorist state
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“Our response can be made from all available options of the Russian Armed Forces – tactical nuclear weapons won’t stay shelved for too long.”
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