Russia has delivered another threat of World War 3 towards Britain, this time targeting Sir Keir Starmer as well. Dmitry Rogozin, a key associate of Vladimir Putin, criticized Starmer as “ignorant and foolish” for proposing to station British troops in Ukraine under a peace agreement. This move, he suggested, could expose the UK to missile attacks from Russia.
Rogozin, a prominent figure in Putin’s administration and former deputy premier, remarked, “Even after Russia’s defeat in the Crimean War of 1853-1856, such ideas never crossed the minds of England, France, or the Turks and Sardinians. Of course, Starmer may lack understanding in the broader context, but he should realize the consequences if they proceed with this absurd plan.”
Starmer announced plans for the UK and France to establish military bases in Ukraine, constructing secure facilities for weapons and military gear to aid Kyiv in its defense. Following a ceasefire, the Prime Minister, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky signed a joint declaration in Paris permitting British and French troops on Ukrainian territory.
Simultaneously, Putin instructed his troops in Ukraine, framing their actions as being commanded by God. This assertion of a holy war coincided with his observance of Orthodox Christmas during a late-night church service, attended by GRU military intelligence officers and their families.
Putin, standing alongside the highly decorated commander of military unit 92154, accused of orchestrating an explosion in NATO member Poland, endorsed attacks on Ukraine overnight. These strikes in Dnipro resulted in injuries to seven individuals, including two young girls aged eight and 16, in residential areas, schools, and kindergartens.
During his address at the Christmas service, Putin depicted Russian soldiers as fulfilling a divine mission, defending the homeland and its people as ordered by the Lord. By linking military actions to Orthodox theology, Putin sought to justify his military aggression under the guise of a sacred duty rather than his own political agenda.
The service, held at a church within the Senezh Special Purpose Centre – the location of military unit 92154, a GRU-affiliated special operations site in the Moscow region – saw Putin alongside GRU high-ranking officers, including Maj-Gen Aleksei Galkin. Putin’s presence at the service appeared to sanction the activities of his GRU operatives, amidst concerns from European security services about Russia’s increased covert operations in the region.
European investigations have revealed a GRU officer allegedly linked to unit 92154 as the handler of a Ukrainian individual implicated in organizing explosions. Moreover, a newer GRU entity known as the “Department of Special Tasks” has been implicated in coordinating sabotage and assassination plots across Europe, including a scheme involving incendiary DHL parcel bombings.