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Russia could attack UK military targets over arms shipment to Ukraine
Tensions are mounting in places like Gibraltar over possible Russian retaliation
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said that Moscow will not hesitate to retaliate against the United Kingdom if Ukraine uses British weapons to attack Russian territory. While previous reports asserted that in her statement Zakharova mentioned that possible targets could include military installations in Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands and some in Africa, such as Sierra Leone, these specific targets have not been mentioned.
Less than a year ago, the UK pinpointed Gibrlatar as one of the “five global centres” that act “as a springboard” to combat current and future military threats, which has now placed Gibraltar in Russia’s sights.
To make matters worse, earlier this month British Foreign Secretary David Cameron stressed that Ukraine’s military had the right to use London-supplied weapons to attack Putin’s forces, a statement that the Moscow spokesperson believes is evidence that the UK is becoming more and more involved in the conflict.
If Russia were to carry out attacks on British targets, this could trigger a direct military response from Britain and its NATO allies, including Spain, transforming the war in Ukraine into a much broader and more complex international conflict.
The Spanish government has just recently promised over 1 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine.
The British military presence in Gibraltar today includes 952 Ministry of Defence employees. In addition, Gibraltar receives routine visits from Royal Navy ships and RAF aircraft, with an annual presence of between 12,000 and 14,000 people. Military infrastructure on the Rock is expanding, with plans to dredge the port and improve facilities for warships and aircraft carriers.
At the same time, the use of the Rock as a permanent base for the Royal Navy is being discussed as part of the ongoing post-Brexit negotiations between Spain and the UK.
Image: Defence Imagery via Wikimedia Commons
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