Russian President Vladimir Putin's close ally has warned that delivering offensive weapons to the East European nation of Ukraine would lead to a a 'global catastrophe'.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the Duma - Russia's lower house of parliament - warned that the United States and NATO's support of Ukraine is leading the world to a "terrible war".
"If Washington and NATO countries supply weapons that will be used to strike civilian cities and attempt to seize our territories, as they threaten, this will lead to retaliatory measures using more powerful weapons," Volodin said on the Telegram messaging app.
"Arguments that the nuclear powers have not previously used weapons of mass destruction in local conflicts are untenable. Because these states did not face a situation where there was a threat to the security of their citizens and the territorial integrity of the country."
"Deliveries of offensive weapons to the Kyiv regime will lead to a global catastrophe," he said.
According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the Ukrainian defence brigade in Kharkiv's Kupyansk has been hit by its aviation and artillery units. The Russian Ministry of Defence claims that the strike resulted in massive losses for Ukrainian troops.
Russian attack on Ukraine has increased in recent times as Western powers send more weapons to Kyiv.
However, the Russian dare of a global catastrophe arises amid Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky blaming the Western power's indecision in sending weapons earlier that has led to the setbacks in the war.
Western allies pledged billions of dollars in weapons for Ukraine last week, although they failed to persuade Germany to lift a veto on providing German-made Leopard battle tanks, which are held by an array of NATO nations but whose transfer to Ukraine requires Berlin's approval.
(With inputs from Reuters)
