Chris Philp, the digital minister, has warned Russia that it will see a “dramatic increased response” from the West if it uses chemical weapons in its war with Ukraine.
It comes after the armed forces minister yesterday implied that Nato could consider changing its approach if Vladimir Putin used the weapons.
Mr Philp told Times Radio: “Clearly, the use of chemical weapons, especially in an invasion where there are a very large number of civilians, would be an outrage against humanity.
“I would say to anybody in Russia thinking about this: do not cross that line, do not inflict any more misery and suffering on the Ukrainian people.
“They’ve already been shooting civilians who are fleeing down humanitarian escape corridors, they’ve been bombing and shelling hospitals including a maternity hospital, do not go any further in inflicting misery on the Ukrainian people.
“It will trigger an increased response from the West, there’s a dramatic increased response, there’s no question about that.”
Follow the latest updates below.
08:09 AM
MoD update – Russia set to change tactics
Sharing its daily update on the situation in Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence said that “Russia is likely seeking to reset and re-posture its forces for renewed offensive activity in the coming days. This will probably include operations against the capital Kyiv.”
08:08 AM
High gas prices are leading to vegetable shortages
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has warned of a “very, very serious situation” as production of certain crops plummet due to rising gas prices.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday, NFU president Minette Batters said:”I think the impact is being felt most harshly, if you like, in the protected crop sectors, so that’s aubergines, peppers, cucumbers.
“We’re already seeing massive contraction because, for these businesses, really 50% of their costs are reliant on the price of gas.”
Ms Batters said farmers have been “talking about going from 80 million cucumbers to 35 million, 100 million peppers to 15 million.
07:52 AM
If Russia came for Croydon, I’d be fighting in the streets
The digital minister said that Ukrainian citizens and soldiers had “every right to defend their homeland, to defend their cities and their towns, to defend their hospitals against this aggression by Russia.
“To be honest, if somebody was attacking Croydon, the place I represent, if somebody was bombing Croydon university hospital, I tell you what, I would be in the streets defending my hospital, I’d be in the streets defending my town and my neighbours, as the Ukrainians are quite rightly doing.”
07:46 AM
Putin is lying to his own people, minister says
Chris Philp said that Russia blocking social media websites was part of its disinformation campaign to “lie to the Russian people, because if they realised the full extent of the atrocities being committed by Putin in their name, they would be extremely angry,” he told Sky News.
“That’s why Putin is trying to hide that from his own population.”
07:45 AM
Good morning
Chris Philp, the digital minister, is on the morning round speaking about Ukraine, following government sanctions on Roman Abramovich, and the opening up of a new route for refugees.
Elsewhere in Westminster the House of Commons is not sitting, but the House of Lords is holding three debates on law enforcement after brexit, the electoral system, and digital technology.
