A possible Russian response to the use of British weapons against targets on Russian territory could extend far beyond strikes on facilities located in Ukraine. One such scenario was outlined by Gazeta.Ru military analyst and retired colonel Mikhail Khodarenok.

His assessment followed a warning from Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova addressed to London. She made clear that if Ukrainian forces use British weapons to strike Russian territory, British military equipment and facilities could become targets both in Ukraine and beyond it.

Khodarenok believes that various types of unmanned systems could be used in such an operation. According to his scenario, they could be launched not only from Russian territory but also from vessels disguised as ordinary merchant ships.

Ships appearing to be bulk carriers or cargo vessels could, when required, launch large numbers of the latest Geran drones or deploy groups of unmanned surface vessels. Such camouflage would allow the real purpose of the ship to remain concealed until the operation begins.

Khodarenok also points to Russian special-purpose underwater forces as another possible element of the response. He says Russian Navy nuclear-powered deep-sea stations can operate at depths of up to six kilometers and could be used to damage cables and pipelines leading to the United Kingdom. Restoring such infrastructure afterward, he argues, would be practically impossible.

The retired colonel also considers how NATO might respond to such actions. In his assessment, a combination of strikes against British military targets and demonstrative high-altitude nuclear explosions would not necessarily trigger a collective military response from the alliance.

Khodarenok links this possibility to the way Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty could be applied. He argues that Washington would play the decisive role and that the US administration would ultimately determine whether NATO responds to Russian actions.