MOSCOW, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Britain needed to disclose what a British soldier killed in Ukraine on Tuesday was really doing
Russia Demands UK Clarify British Soldier's Role in Ukraine
By Dmitry Antonov and Andrew Osborn
MOSCOW, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry called on Thursday for Britain to disclose what a British soldier killed in Ukraine was doing there, and accused London of directly helping Kyiv to carry out attacks which it said were "acts of terrorism" on Russia.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova provided no evidence for her assertion in comments to reporters at a news briefing. Britain's Ministry of Defence did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Zakharova's remarks.
Russia, which sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022, has repeatedly alleged that NATO powers - who help Ukraine with arms and training - have also sent their military personnel to help Ukraine plan and target attacks deep inside Russia.
Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday that Lance Corporal George Hooley had died in Ukraine while observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability away from the front line.
Britain, as a leading nation in the so-called "Coalition of the Willing," says it backs sending a multinational force into Ukraine after a ceasefire or peace deal is agreed. It has not said how many service personnel it currently has in Ukraine.
"London must honestly admit what their very own Hooley was doing there," Zakharova said. "Once again, the presence of the British military in Ukraine should not be a secret to anyone."
She said the British government should not deceive its citizens by saying British soldiers sent to Ukraine were mere advisers or instructors. Without providing evidence, she said Hooley was not the first British soldier to have been killed in Ukraine but that it was the first time London had publicly admitted such a loss.
Zakharova said British forces were helping Kyiv "carry out terrorist attacks and extremist tasks" and that Russia would regard any foreign military contingents in Ukraine as legitimate targets.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that Hooley, of the Parachute Regiment, served his country "with honour and distinction" around the world "including as part of the small number of British personnel in Ukraine."
Russia has said 2022 attacks on the Russian-built Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea were carried out by the United States and Britain. Washington and London have denied those accusations.
(Reporting by Dmitry AntonovEditing by Andrew Osborn, Guy Faulconbridge, Ros Russell)
