Moscow poses no threat to Britain, says Russia's UK embassy

LONDON (Reuters) -Russia's embassy in London said on Tuesday that Moscow had no intention of attacking Britain, rejecting accusations by the British government of growing aggression and daily cyberattacks.

Britain said on Monday it would radically change its approach to defence to address new threats, including from Russia, after endorsing the findings of an independently-produced Strategic Defence Review.

After unveiling the defence overhaul on Monday, Healey said Europe was facing war, growing Russian aggression, new nuclear risks and daily cyberattacks.

Russia's embassy issued a statement on Tuesday criticising what it described as "a fresh salvo of anti-Russian rhetoric".

"Russia poses no threat to the United Kingdom and its people," the statement said. "We harbour no aggressive intentions and have no plans to attack Britain. We are not interested in doing so, nor do we need to."

Relations between Russia and Britain are at their lowest level since the Cold War. They deteriorated further after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Britain and other NATO members have provided large amounts of military aid and other support to Kyiv.

China's embassy in London also criticised Britain's defence review, saying in a statement on Tuesday that the document deliberately misrepresented Beijing's defence policy to justify British military expansion.

The review had described China as "a sophisticated and persistent challenge", citing its rapid military modernisation, including an expanded nuclear arsenal, and saying Beijing was likely using espionage and cyberattacks, and stealing intellectual property.

(Reporting by Sam TabahritiEditing by William James and Gareth Jones)