British police have become concerned that weapons from the Ukrainian war could reach the UK and find their way into the hands of terrorists.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said that whatever the outcome of this "awful conflict", it is clear that "there will be huge amounts of weapons and ammunition in the region, which will take some time to stabilise and normalise when the phase of outright war ends".
Despite the risk, Mr Twist said police and security partners, are doing everything they can to ensure that weapons "from this or any other conflict zone do not find their way to the UK.”
Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Matt Twist said the conflict was one of several “international challenges” affecting security in the UK.
He noted that Russian aggression is not the only international challenge and the senior officer warned of “ungoverned spaces” in countries including Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia.
Mr Twist said officers were also monitoring other potential impacts from the Russian invasion, adding: “World events have an impact on the streets of London and elsewhere in the UK."
He said police were alert to the possibility of plans that target Russian assets or people in the UK or attempts to seek revenge for Britain’s support for Ukraine.
The news comes as sham “referendums” in Ukraine are underway which could lead to Moscow annexing 15 per cent of the country’s territory.
Voting in the eastern provinces of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia began on Friday.
Russian media have announced early results, claiming that all the regions have voted by at least 97 per cent to be annexed by Russia.
These self-declared referendums are illegal under Ukrainian and international law.
If Russia annexes the territories, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his cronies will then declare Ukrainian attacks on those areas to be aggressions against Russia itself.
He will then claim that Russia is under attack and likely give impetus to go nuclear in retaliation.
Raising the risk of a direct military confrontation between Russia and the NATO military alliance.
US President Joe Biden said that could lead to World War Three because NATO members are supplying arms and giving intelligence to Ukraine.
The British Ministry of Defence has said in its latest intelligence update that Putin is scheduled to address both houses of the Russian parliament on Friday 30 September and will likely formally announce the acquisition of the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine into Russia.
