Mr Solovyov, who spied with Putin at the KSB, made his comments on Russian state television. He said: “Aren’t they supposed to be used to destroy morons like you in decision-making centres? So that you don’t make the people of London suffer, who, by the way, never chose you.
“And just from this logic that if there are British weapons to kill the Russians…we have produced hypersonic missiles. A lot of them. Does not it occur to you that it is possible to knock on your door [and strike Britain]? And not just with a little finger.”
Mr Solovyov is not the only one to have made comments about the power and number of the Kinzhal missiles.
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Head of state corporation Rostec and Putin ally, Sergey Chemezov, said the production of the new-age missiles had increased dramatically.
Mr Chemezov said in a statement: “Since February, the volume of military production has grown significantly – in some cases by more than 50 times. This primarily concerns ammunition.
“[The Kinzhal] has been on the stream for a long time. We just didn’t require as much as….now. Therefore, we are now increasing [production]. All our enterprises work in two or even three shifts, around the clock, seven days a week, with no holidays. We are constantly working to ensure the production volume we are obliged to deliver to the army today.”
The Kinzhal is one of Russia’s most potent missiles. It has a range of 1,200 miles – or 1,900 when launched from a Tu-22M3 supersonic bomber, and an accuracy of three feet. It can fly at up to 12 times the speed of sound and Putin claims it can beat any missile defence system.
The missile has been used in Ukraine for some time, armed with conventional warheads. However, the missile can also be armed with a nuclear warhead capable of a 500-kiloton yield.
Alongside the Tu-22M3, Russia is believed to have modified its MiG-31 fighter to enable it to carry the missile.
Despite the threat posed by Russian aircraft in the country, Ukraine has become increasingly effective at stopping missiles and aircraft. A lot of these air defence systems have come from the likes of the United Kingdom and the United States.
Alongside air-defence systems, the UK is reportedly considering donating Harpoon anti-ship missiles or surface-to-air Storm Shadow missiles to target the Russian armed forces on air and at sea.
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Harpoons are anti-ship surface-to-surface missiles capable of striking enemy naval forces up to 80 miles away. The Storm Shadow, meanwhile, is a surface-to-air missile that can it hit fixed or stationary targets.
While these British-made missiles could be of use, the Washington Post has reported that Ukrainian officials have said they would require coordinates provided or confirmed by the United States for these strikes to be effective. The Ukrainian armed forces also use American rocket systems such as HIMARS.
As well as targeting the enemy from the ground, Ukraine has been trying to persuade Western nations to supply their jet aircraft in a bid to win the air war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Britain in advance for any aircraft it donated. Analysts say this is unlikely as the planes at the RAF’s disposal are either too old or too complex to be given to Ukraine.