Russia issue ‘nuclear warning’ in response to hypothetical Sky TV show

The Wargame or: How I Learned to Start Worrying and Love the Bomb

Nuclear weapons against Britain would be used if Russia's territory were struck following a hypothetical scenario on a Sky TV show, the country has said.

Following a fictional plot line featured in a new British miniseries, Russia has issued a warning against any attempts to target its Baltic Sea enclave.

A new Sky One miniseries called The Wargame centres around a fictional Russian attack against Britain.

The five-part show, which premiered last week, includes the UK carrying out a retaliatory attack on Murmansk and Kaliningrad.

In the real world, this is a strategically valuable pocket of Russian territory nestled between Poland and Lithuania.

The border between the Russian semi-exclave of Kaliningrad and Lithuania. Credit: Getty Images

What Russia said following the fictional plot

Russia warned that British or NATO military action against its territory can result in the use of nuclear weapons.

“We have noted an article in The i Paper on Kaliningrad, which suggests, among other things, that NATO could blockade the region or ‘de-recognise Russian sovereignty’. The prospect of a hypothetical strike is also explored in Sky News’ recent mini-series The Wargame”, the Russian UK embassy wrote on its official Telegram, in a scathing post.

“Those advocating plans to blockade or strike Kaliningrad should have no illusions about the consequences. Any British or NATO military action against Russian territory would be met with a response using all means at Russia’s disposal, including nuclear weapons.”

“Russia has repeatedly made clear that it neither seeks confrontation with NATO and Europe nor intends to attack them. But should anyone choose to unleash such a conflict, they must be under no illusion that Russia will respond accordingly.”

Putin's ‘greatest weakness’ and the politicians in the show

An article in the I News described Kaliningrad as Putin’s “greatest weakness”, while “Russia knows it’s a vulnerability”, a former NATO official told the outlet.

The Wargame, while having a fictional plot, involves real-life politicians, such as Michael Gove, Nicola Sturgeon, Penny Mordaunt, Sayeeda Warsi and Kim Darroch.

Conservative MP and now a member of the House of Lords, Michael Gove, in The Wargame stars as the PM. Credit: Getty Images

And in the role of NATO’s secretary general stars Anthony Scaramucci, who briefly served as the White House communications chief.

The show is based on Sky’s podcast with the same name, which started in June last year.

Kaliningrad is Russia’s westernmost outpost and the region is on high alert following the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.

Neighbouring Poland, which is a key NATO country, scrambles its warplanes regularly when Russian aircraft or drones make incursions at the border.

Meanwhile, an increase in drone activity linked to Russia has also been seen by Lithuania, which also shares a land border with Kaliningrad as well as Belarus, a Russia ally.