Russia warned Britain this week it was “playing with fire” by giving Ukraine blueprints for missile components to strike Russian territory, but western officials on Friday played down fears over any imminent attack on Nato territory.“Our assessment is [Russian president Vladimir] Putin wants to avoid a direct confrontation with Nato,” said one western official, speaking on condition of anonymity.“But we cannot rule out the risk of miscalculation.”The “playing with fire” comments from Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign affairs spokesperson, followed other bellicose comments this week from Andrei Fedorov, a former Russian deputy foreign minister. He warned that his country could strike British military bases and factories in retaliation for the UK supplying drones to Kyiv that are used in attacks inside Russia.Inside the Nato military alliance, however, Fedorov’s comments are seen as being aimed more at spreading alarm in Britain.There is acknowledgment, however, that Russia-linked entities were suspected of warehouse fires in London before and further such attacks cannot be ruled out.One western official said much of the combative language coming out of Moscow this week is a classic case of Russia using “rhetoric to exploit fears”. Another western official agreed the vague implied threats against Britain and other Nato states are “nothing new”.A member of Ukraine’s 14th Mechanised Brigade prepares to fire on the Russian front line near Kupiansk, in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine in 2025. Photograph: Tyler Hicks/The New York Times