UK has enough weapons says MoD as it slams Russian ‘propaganda’ video of Ben Wallace

The Ministry of Defence criticised the “doctored clips” released after several Cabinet ministers were targeted by imposters
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace was targeted by Russian pranksters
PA Wire

The Ministry of Defence has said it has enough anti-tank weapons to defend Britain after the defence secretary appeared to admit it was running out of artillery in a call with Russian pranksters.

The Government accused Russia of spreading “propaganda” to distract from its atrocities in Ukraine after a second hoax video featuring Ben Wallace was published.

The MoD described the videos as “doctored clips” from the “Russian state” and issued warnings against believing their contents.

In the second video, released on Tuesday, Mr Wallace seemingly suggests to the caller, who he believed was Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal, that the UK is “running out of our own” NLAW anti-tank weapons.

The MoD said Britain has provided more than 4,000 NLAWs to Ukraine’s forces but still has “enough weapons systems to defend both UK national security and maintain our commitments” to Nato.

“This video, like most Russian propaganda, is fed out to obscure and manipulate the truth,” the statement said.

“People should be very sceptical about reporting on, and accepting as real, any part of these Russian state doctored clips.”

Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin has been blamed for the imposters’ calls which have now targeted three Cabinet ministers.

Officials appear to be struggling to get the clips removed from YouTube.

The calls were presented as being from self-styled pranksters “Vovan and Lexus”.

However, Downing Street insisted the Kremlin is behind the attempted smears.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We believe the Russian state was responsible and I’m unable to go into more detail about the information that sits behind that.”

He added: “It is standard practice for Russian information operations to try and use these tactics, it seeks to be a distraction from their illegal activities in Ukraine, their human rights abuses, and so we will not be distracted from our purpose in ensuring Putin must fail in Ukraine.”

Downing Street was braced for more videos of Mr Wallace to emerge and acknowledged it was possible footage of a hoax call with Priti Patel could be published, with the Home Secretary having been targeted earlier.

The Defence Secretary has described having terminated the call after “becoming suspicious”, with sources suggesting the call lasted around 10 minutes.

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