War in Ukraine | Jeremy Hunt warns of Russian “smokescreen” as Kyiv hit with third missile strike in four days

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt MP has warned that the idea of Ukraine’s involvement in Friday’s terror attack at Moscow’s Crocus City Concert Hall might very well be a form of propaganda from the Kremlin - as Russia launched its third missile strike in four days this morning. 

An air alert lasted for over two hours in the capital as groups of rockets entered Kyiv from the north. However, preliminary data shows that there were no casualties or damages in the capital. 

The operation command of NATO member Poland reported a violation of its airspace at 3:23 AM GMT by a cruise missile launched by Russia. The object entered near the Polish town of Oserdow and stayed there for 39 seconds, according to the statement. 

Military radar systems observed the missile throughout the time, and all necessary procedures were launched to ensure the safety of Polish airspace.

In response to the allegations that the terrorists, who are part of the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K), were caught on their way to cross the border from Russia into Ukraine, Hunt told Trevor Phillips on his “Sunday Morning” programme on Sky News that "we have very little confidence in anything the Russian government says."

He says Russia is "creating a smokescreen of propaganda" and that he takes anything they say with "a massive pinch of salt” but did warn that "we have to be on our guard" and "vigilant" regarding a potential terrorist attack in the United Kingdom.

However, Hunt assured viewers during the interview that the UK "[has] the very best in the world," regarding intelligence agencies.

What is the current UK terror threat level? 

The current terror threat level in the United Kingdom is “substantial,” meaning that an attack is likely, according to the official UK Government website. It is the third highest warning that the Government have issued, with “severe” indicating an attack is highly likely and “critical” indicating an attack is highly likely in the near future. 

However, this has been brought down from a “severe” warning that was in place from March 28 2023 after the shooting of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in Omagh. It was reduced to “substantial” on March 6 2024.