MOSCOW, March 22. /TASS/. The hybrid war against Russia is acquiring an ever-greater scale, because the United States does not estimate the consequences, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told the media on the sidelines of the Valdai discussion club on Wednesday.

"The hybrid war is acquiring an ever-greater scale and more sophisticated forms. This war is with the United States and the group of countries the US leads recklessly, without estimating the consequences of what might happen," he said, commenting on Senator Lindsey Graham's call to shoot down Russian aircraft approaching US aircraft over international waters.

Ryabkov added that such statements, "of course, must be taken seriously."

"People making such statements have little idea of the realities of the nuclear age. They have completely forgotten that Russia is ready to defend itself against aggressive attacks with all the means at its disposal."

"Our reaction is always calibrated, dosed and calm. There have been provocations and there will be more. We react to them in a responsible way, we stop encroachments on our sovereignty and on our territorial integrity, and we will continue to do this in the future," Ryabkov concluded.