British troops deployed to Ukraine would be treated as legitimate targets by Russian forces, military analyst Vladislav Shurygin told NEWS.ru, stressing that such a move from London would mark a direct entry into the armed conflict.

Shurygin argued that the appearance of British servicemen embedded with the Ukrainian Armed Forces would, from Moscow’s perspective, amount to the United Kingdom’s formal involvement in the fighting. He said Russia would consider all such personnel lawful targets and would not feel compelled to offer explanations to London.

The expert noted that foreign military specialists could operate both near the front line and in rear areas. Their roles, he said, might range from training Ukrainian troops and supporting logistics to repairing equipment and assisting with air-defense coordination.

The discussion follows comments from UK Defence Secretary John Healey, who recently stated that London has drawn up a plan to send British military personnel to support Kiev once the conflict ends. Healey added that British servicemen had already conducted reconnaissance in Ukraine to determine which units could be involved.