Russia’s embassy in London has issued an explicit nuclear threat in response to a Sky television programme in which former British politicians simulated a military strike on a Russian base in Kaliningrad.
The diplomatic mission published statements on both Telegram and X warning any attack on Russian territory would provoke retaliation with the full arsenal at Moscow’s disposal, nuclear weapons included.
The programme that prompted this reaction, The Wargame, aired on Sky earlier this month and featured ex-ministers role-playing a crisis scenario in which Britain comes under sustained Russian assault and ultimately decides to hit back at the Kaliningrad exclave.
The show’s premise placed Michael Gove in the role of Prime Minister, with Nicola Sturgeon serving as his deputy, a pairing that in itself underscored the fictional nature of the exercise.
Russia’s embassy in London responded to the Sky programme with a warning over the consequences of any real attack on Russian territory
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REUTERSTogether with other former politicians, they navigated a series of escalating Russian aggressions against the United Kingdom.
The simulated attacks ranged from targeted killings of RAF pilots to a cyber assault on the NHS, culminating in what the programme described as “the biggest loss of military life in a single day since World War Two.”
After Russia launched missile strikes against Britain in the scenario, the fictional cabinet opted to retaliate by striking a Russian military installation in Kaliningrad.
The Russian embassy’s statement directly referenced the Sky programme, noting: “The prospect of a hypothetical strike is also explored in Sky News’ recent mini-series The Wargame.”
Sky’s The Wargame sees former British politicians navigate a fictional conflict between Britain and Russia
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SKY
It went on to warn: “Those advocating plans to blockade or strike Kaliningrad should have no illusions about the consequences.
“Any British or Nato military action against Russian territory would be met with a response using all means at Russia’s disposal, including nuclear weapons.”
The embassy also suggested that Nato could seek to blockade the exclave, geographically isolated from mainland Russia by Poland and Lithuania, or attempt to “de-recognise Russian sovereignty” over the territory.
Moscow insisted: “But should anyone choose to unleash such a conflict, they must be under no illusion that Russia will respond accordingly.”
Michael Gove assumes the role of prime minister as the simulated crisis rapidly escalates
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GETTY
The embassy’s statements also stressed that Russia “has repeatedly made clear that it neither seeks confrontation with Nato and Europe nor intends to attack them”.
This claim sits uneasily alongside Moscow’s ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, which has produced the deadliest armed conflict on the European continent since the Second World War.
Beyond Ukraine, Western intelligence agencies have flagged further threats.
Reports have claimed that US intelligence warned of a possible Russian drone operation targeting Spain, France and Italy.
However, French President Emmanuel Macron has disputed the reports, saying the CIA had not warned France about a potential Russian attack.
Meanwhile, one of Vladimir Putin’s most prominent media allies has declared that the “real war” has started, following a foiled drone attack on a German airport.
It is not the first time British television has drawn a response from Moscow.
In 2018, the Russian Embassy in London criticised BBC crime drama McMafia, accusing the series of portraying Britain as a “playground for Russian gangsters”.
Michael Gove and Nicola Sturgeon are placed at the head of a fictional British government facing an escalating confrontation with Moscow
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GETTY
The embassy even launched a social media poll as it sought to challenge the programme’s depiction of Russians living in Britain.
The BBC also faced criticism over The Salisbury Poisonings, its drama about the 2018 Novichok attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
When filming began in 2019, the Russian Embassy accused the broadcaster of promoting the British authorities’ version of events through drama.
Moscow had previously reacted to the BBC’s 2016 Panorama investigation Putin’s Secret Riches, which examined allegations surrounding Vladimir Putin’s personal wealth.
The programme prompted condemnation from the Kremlin after a US Treasury official told the BBC that Washington believed the Russian president was corrupt.
Even the BBC’s adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace attracted criticism in Russia in 2016, with some commentators taking issue with its sex scenes, historical interpretation and depiction of the celebrated Russian novel.