UK considers long-range missiles to counter Putin’s nuclear threat

Sources expect collaboration with Germany on weapon that could reach Moscow if Russia pushes nuclear button

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with workers at a plant, which is part of Russian missile manufacturer Almaz-Antey, in Saint Petersburg. Picture: Ilya Pitalev/Sputnik/AFP

Britain is considering developing long-range missiles that can take out President Putin’s nuclear weapons launched from inside Russia amid mounting fears in Europe he may be prepared to use them.

The UK has signalled it will work with Germany to build a novel weapon with a range of around 2,000 miles, diplomatic sources disclosed.

Allies envisage the weapon being able to travel from as far as Berlin to Moscow in the event that Putin decides to launch tactical nuclear weapons.

John Healey, the defence secretary, is understood to have discussed the project with his German counterpart in Berlin on Wednesday. He was there as part of a 48-hour diplomatic tour around Europe to bolster co-operation between the UK and its allies and push his “Nato-first” defence strategy.

Russia carried out an intercontinental ballistic missile test in 2022. Picture: Handout / Russian Defence Ministry / AFP

Under the plans, the long-range missiles would be stationed in Germany, replacing US missiles set to be placed there from next year.

A diplomatic source said recent statements by Putin and others suggested Russia was reducing its threshold for using tactical nuclear weapons and described it as a “worrying development”.

Earlier this month the US and Germany announced during the Nato summit in Washington that long-range US missiles would be deployed periodically in Germany for the first time since the Cold War. The decision was met with an angry response from Moscow.

In a joint statement the two western allies said the Tomahawk cruise, SM-6 and hypersonic missiles had significantly longer range than existing missiles in the region. Such missiles were banned under a 1988 treaty between the US and former Soviet Union but the pact fell apart five years ago.

Great Britain's Defence Minister John Healey. Picture: Wojtek Radwanski/AFP

Boris Pistorius, the German defence minister, said the temporary deployment of US weapons would give Nato allies the time to prepare. “We are talking here about an increasingly serious gap in capability in Europe,” he said.

France, Italy, Poland and Germany have already signed a letter of intent aimed at developing long-range missiles in Europe. However, the Germans had sought to persuade the UK to agree to develop the weapons with them and the diplomatic source said an agreement had been reached.

Healey signed a joint declaration with Germany that committed both nations to deepen defence co-operation and mentioned long-range capabilities and a “deep precision strike”, although it gave no details.

The UK’s longest-range conventional missile is currently the Storm Shadow, which has a disclosed range of over 150 miles.

The Times