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Britain is training Ukraine for acts of “nuclear terrorism”, the head of Russia's secret service has claimed.

Alexander Bortnikov, Russia's 71-year-old spymaster, has boldly told a meeting of the Council of Heads of Security Agencies and Special Services in Baku, Azerbaijan, that they have evidence to prove it. He said: “In August of this year, the FSB detained members of a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group.

“During operational and investigative measures, it was established that the training of saboteurs and the planning of their operations were carried out by members of the special forces of the British armed forces. Such actions of Ukrainian military intelligence and its British mentors should be qualified as nuclear terrorism.”‌

READ MORE: Russia to 'pull out of nuclear missile testing ban' with world teetering on edge of WW3

For more Russia news, click here.

He claimed, although failed to show proof, that the nuclear plants in Kursk and Smolensk were earmarked for attack.

The Daily Star has reached out to the FCDO for a comment.

The claim comes as Russia 's State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin claimed that Russia is now considering revoking the country's ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treat, which was adopted by the UN in 1996. That claim comes off the back of a speech President Vladimir Putin made on October 5, where he talked about the two reasons that could cause him to give the go-ahead to use nuclear weapons.

“The first is the use of nuclear weapons against us, which would entail a so-called retaliatory strike,” he said.

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“But what does this mean in practice? The missiles are launched, our early warning system detects them and reports that they are targeting the territory of the Russian Federation –this happens within seconds, just so that everyone understands – and once we know that Russia has been attacked, we respond to this aggression.

“The second reason for the potential use of these weapons is an existential threat to the Russian state – even if conventional weapons are used against Russia, but the very existence of Russia as a state is threatened. Do we need to change this? Why would we? Everything can be changed, but I just don't see that we need to.

“There is no situation imaginable today where something would threaten Russian statehood and the existence of the Russian state. I do not think anyone in their right mind would consider using nuclear weapons against Russia.”

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• Vladimir Putin
• Military
• Missiles
• Russia
• Russia Ukraine war
• Ukraine

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