Russia’s Medvedev Claims British Officials are Legitimate Military Targets for Moscow

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of the Russian Security Council and former Russian president has said that any British official can be considered a legitimate military target of the Russian Federation.

Medvedev’s comment comes in response to British Foreign Minister James Cleverley’s statement that Ukraine has the right to use force outside its borders in self-defense to weaken Russia’s ability to strike Ukraine following a recent drone attack on Moscow.

Medvedev justifies his statement by saying that the United Kingdom can be classified as a state at war with Russia under the established principles of international law governing modern warfare.

“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,” Medvedev wrote.

On the morning of May 30, three multi-story residential buildings in Moscow were targeted by drones, resulting in minor damage and two individuals seeking medical help. The Russian Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs promptly attributed the incident to Ukraine, labeling it a “terrorist attack.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that it was “retaliation” for a recent strike on the Ukrainian military intelligence headquarters, which occurred “two or three days ago.”

Other Topics of Interest

Russia, China FMs Meet as ASEAN Talks Get Underway in Laos

Russian FM Lavrov said after talks with Chinese counterpart that they discussed ASEAN cooperation amid concerns about "certain countries" forming alliances to undermine Asia-Pacific security.

Ukrainian authorities, however, have denied any involvement in the incident.