Russia has issued a direct warning to attack targets within the UK. Vladimir Putin’s defence ministry released locations of what it claims are manufacturing sites supplying the Ukrainian military with equipment used to strike Russian territory.

Three of the locations are in London, Leicester and Suffolk. Additional sites are across several European nations. The action was “increasingly drawing these countries into war with Russia “, the ministry declared.

Senior Kremlin figure and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned Western leaders that the warning should be “taken literally.” Medvedev serves as Putin’s deputy on the Russian Security Council.

“The list of European facilities which make drones [and] other equipment is a list of potential targets for the Russian armed forces,” he cautioned. “When strikes become a reality depends on what comes next… Sleep well, European partners!”, reports the Mirror.

The catalogue identifies what appears to be Ukrainian missile manufacturer Fire Point with an alleged location in Mildenhall, Suffolk, which also houses an RAF base. It functions as a crucial US air force centre. Alleged locations in London and Leicester were also provided.

“The leadership of several European countries, amid mounting losses and a worsening shortage of manpower in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, decided to increase the production and supply of UAVs to Ukraine for strikes on Russian territory,” the Russian defence ministry stated. “A significant increase in UAV production for the Kyiv regime is planned through increased funding for Ukrainian and joint enterprises located in European countries that produce attack drones and their components.”

The ministry stated: “We regard this decision as a deliberate step leading to a sharp escalation of the military-political situation throughout Europe and the creeping transformation of these countries into Ukraine’s strategic rear area.” It cautioned that “terrorist attacks against Russia” could result in “unpredictable consequences”.

The Russian defence ministry also identified alleged manufacturing sites in Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Israel and Turkey.

Russian propagandist and British “expert” Vladimir Kornilov described it as “an important and long-overdue warning from the Russian Ministry of Defence”.

Read More: Russia issues ‘sleep well’ warning to Britain as three places named as strike targets