Concerned UK citizens may well be casting their eyes towards Russia's leaked 'strike list' after Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed 'WW3 has started.
The Ukrainian president suggested earlier this week that his Russian opposition Vladimir Putin has started WW3 and must be stopped, with geopolitical tensions perhaps at an all-time high right now.
Since Russia first invaded Ukraine back in 2022, Putin's country has been accused of testing NATO's resolve for a third world war on a number of occasions, particularly when drones and jets have violated the airspace of other NATO countries.
Speaking to the BBC, Zelenskyy dismissed the idea that handing over Ukrainian territory might lead to a ceasefire and suggested that the only way to stop Putin was through intense military and economic pressure.
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He said: "I believe that Putin has already started it [WW3]. The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him... Russia wants to impose on the world a different way of life and change the lives people have chosen for themselves."
The UK has long been vocal in its support for Ukraine, while also imposing a number of economic sanctions on Russia, and therefore it would not be a surprise to see the UK targeted should other countries become officially involved in the fighting.
Last year, Russia's former deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin sent out an ominous warning to the UK, even sharing a map of areas which could be targeted by Russia.
He posted the image in the wake of comments made by Britain's former defence secretary, Ben Wallace, after he urged the West to 'make Crimea uninhabitable and unviable from a Russian point of view'.
Wallace said: "Ukraine does not need to invade the peninsula (which I concede would be incredibly difficult if not impossible), but they should choke it to death."
Following Wallace's comments, Rogozin responded by posting the map which highlights potential targets in the UK in the event of World War 3, alongside a scathing message.
He said: "Former British Defence Minister Ben Wallace on what Kyiv and its NATO allies should do to end the military actions: 'We must help Ukraine acquire long-range capabilities to make Crimea uninhabitable. We need to strangle Crimea'.
"What a sober minister has in mind, a former one has on his tongue. However, it is even good that they reveal their true intentions.
"It is useful to read this for those of us who still consider peace with imperialist aggressors possible.
"And my advice to our [Russian] oligarchs: do not send your children to study in England! It is deadly dangerous."
The full list of alleged targets
- Glasgow – BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Thales
- Belfast – Harland & Wolff, Spirit Aerosystems, Thales
- Fivemiletown – Cooneen Defence
- Barrow-in-Furness – BAE Systems
- Bolton – MBDA
- Telford – RBSL
- Aberporth – QinetiQ, Tekever
- Merthyr Tydfil – General Dynamics
- Glascoed – BAE Systems
- Bristol – Airbus, BAE Systems, GKN Aerospace, Leonardo, MBDA, QinetiQ, Rolls-Royce
- HMNB Devonport – Babcock
- Yeovil – Leonardo
- Aldermaston – AWE
- London – Helsing, Palantir
- Stevenage – Airbus, MBDA
- Ampthill – Lockheed Martin
- Derby – Rolls-Royce
- Sheffield – Sheffield Forgemasters
- Warton & Samlesbury – BAE Systems
- Newton Aycliffe – Octric Semiconductors
- Tyne & Wear – BAE Systems, Leonardo
- Edinburgh – Leonardo
- Rosyth – Babcock, QinetiQ
Topics: Russia, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, NATO
James Moorhouse