The Russian foreign ministry this morning said the British response to the Salisbury spy attack was “irresponsible” and warned: “You won’t have to wait long for a response.”
The ministry said the UK’s assertion Russia was behind the nerve agent attack was “not based on evidence”.
Diplomatic tensions rise between Britain and Russia after a former Russian spy who worked for MI6 was poisoned in Salisbury.
Sergei Skripal along with his daughter Yulia were rushed to hospital after showing signs of poisoning and are fighting for their lives in a critical condition.
On Monday, Theresa May said it was ”highly likely” Russia was to blame for the shocking attack – which rRssia has vehemently denied.
But the war of words between the UK and Russia now has some fearing World War 3 could break out at any moment in a return to the Cold War era.
Are we going to war with Russia? Will Putin trigger war?
In a documentary earlier this month, Russian president Vladimir Putin made clear if Russia was under attack and faced being wiped out, then the world would not be worth saving.
In a TV documentary, he said: “I want to tell you, and I want this to be known here and abroad.
“Our plans for using it (my nuclear arsenal), I am hoping it will never happen, our theoretical plans of using it is a so-called retaliatory, counter strike.
“A decision about using nuclear weapons can be made only if our missile warning system recorded not only the launch of missiles, but also gave an accurate prediction of flight trajectories and the time when the warheads fall on Russia.”
Mr Putin has already warned British Prime Minister Theresa May not to make threats to a “nuclear power” just days after making a speech in which he boasted Russia has developed a new array of nuclear weapons that are invincible, including a cruise missile that he said could “reach anywhere in the world.”
In the 1970s a series of eerie UK public information films, called “Protect and Survive” told people how best to try to survive – with viewers told three rising sirens would sound an attack.
A series of three bangs, gongs, or whistles would then indicate that fallout was expected.
People outside at the time were simply told to lay on the floor while those inside were warned to stay in their home or other building with as few outside walls as possible and huddle under a table.
An unbroken siren would indicate the attack was over for any survivors.
Moscow today said it is still ready to work with London to investigate a chemical weapons attack in Britain on a former Russian double agent, but Britain is refusing to cooperate.
Britain has said it will kick out 23 Russian diplomats and impose other sanctions against Russia to punish it for poisoning Sergei Skripal and his daughter, something Moscow denies.
Speaking at a weekly news briefing, Ms Zakharova said she wondered how other countries could show solidarity with Britain in the Skripal case if they did not possess information about the case.
Zakharova said “the truth” about the incident was being hidden.