MOSCOW, May 7. /TASS/. Russia will be defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity by all available means, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said on TV Channel One.

"They (Western countries - TASS) are on the path of escalation, but we will be defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity and protecting the security of our country by all available means," he stated.

"The ambassadors’ job is to properly report to their capitals what is happening here [in Moscow]," he added.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the General Staff had begun preparations for an exercise involving missile units of the Southern District, aviation and naval forces. The Defense Ministry said that during the exercise a set of measures would be implemented to practice procedures related to the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons. The Defense Ministry also noted that the exercise would be a response to provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials.

On Monday, the British ambassador to Russia, Nigel Casey, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry. A strong protest was expressed to him over British Foreign Secretary David Cameron's recent statement in an interview with Reuters about Ukraine's right to attack Russian territory with British weapons. Casey was warned that in response to Ukrainian strikes with British weapons on Russian territory any British military facilities and equipment in Ukrainian territory and elsewhere might be regarded as legitimate targets.