Russia issues WW3 'retaliation' warning to London over Crimea Bridge

Russia has sent a direct warning of "an indestructible blow of retaliation" to Ukrainian allies after they supposedly planned strikes on Crimea.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the Crimean Bridge is "again under attack". The bridge links Russia with the Crimean Peninsula, which it illegally annexed in 2014. 

Zakharova said: "[Preparations] are being carried out openly, with ostentatious bravado and with the absolute and direct support of the collective West."

Ahead of new waves of military aid on its way to Ukraine, she- also referred to a delivery of F-16 jets, "which, according to the British, can also be used in the operation to destroy the Crimean Bridge."

She added: "We would like to once again warn Washington, London and Brussels that any aggressive actions against Crimea are not only doomed to failure but will also receive an indestructible blow of retaliation."

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Zakharova also discussed the reported delivery of US-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine, six of which were subsequently shot down over Crimea last week.

Ukraine used ATACMS missiles for the first time on a Russian military airfield in Crimea last month in a strike which took out Russian forces in the occupied territory, according to US officials.

The first delivery of the missiles came last year, but these were mid-range, older models with a shorter range of approximately 100 miles.

The newer missiles, however, have a range of up to 190 miles, in the range of hundreds of Russian military facilities in Crimea.

Today, the Russian Defense Ministry said its forces shot down another four ATACMS missiles over Crimea, taking the total up to 15 in recent weeks.

Russia has often claimed to take down Ukrainian missiles and drones with no damage to military targets or infrastructure, only for reports to the contrary to come out later.