Ukraine-Russia war LIVE: Putin warns of ‘proportional response’ if Britain ‘provokes’ conflict & backs Ukrainian strikes

RUSSIA says it will launch a “proportional response” if Britain continues to provoke Ukraine after ministers backed strikes on Russia. It comes after UK armed forces minister James Heappey said Ukrainian airstrikes on Russian soil were “completely legitimate”. Confirming UK Government support for targeting logisitcal structures in Russia, Heappey told Times Radio: “It’s completely legitimate for Ukraine to be targeting in Russia’s depth in order to disrupt logistics that if they weren’t disrupted would directly contribute to death and carnage on Ukrainian soil,” Heappey said. He added: “Things that the international community are now providing to Ukraine have the range to be used over the borders. When those bits of kit are used, you tend not to blame the country that manufactured it, you blame the country that fired it.” But Russia’s defence minstry warned: “We would like to underline that London’s direct provocation of the Kyiv regime into such actions, if such actions are carried out, will immediately lead to our proportional response,” “As we have warned, the Russian Armed Forces are in round-the-clock readiness to launch retaliatory strikes with high-precision long-range weapons at decision-making centres in Kyiv.” Meanwhile – in what appears to be the latest tactical strike from Ukraine – a Russian ammunition depot was pictured in flames this morning. The ammo dump in the Belgorod region was reportedly ablaze and pictures show a huge plume of fire and smoke billowing over the landscape. Two more attacks were also suspected with reports of explosions in the regions of the Voronezh and Kursk. Ukraine has not confirmed the strikes – but video appears to show anti-air missile being fired in the area. Follow our Russia-Ukraine live blog below for up-to-the-minute updates…