MOSCOW, November 20. /TASS/. Russia will not leave the attempts of certain NATO countries to take part in strikes deep inside the country unpunished, Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin said in an interview with Russia’s National Defense magazine.

"Our opponents are compelled to acknowledge that Russian President [Vladimir Putin]'s determination to firmly defend the country’s fundamental interests by all available means restricts the room for maneuver for Washington and Brussels," he stated. "Attempts by certain NATO allies to facilitate potential long-range strikes using Western weapons deep inside Russian territory will not go unpunished," he added.

Naryshkin observed that the military and political elites in the West are increasingly recognizing the gravity of Russia's intentions and the need for greater caution in their actions "to avoid becoming embroiled in a direct military conflict with our country, which could have catastrophic consequences for them."

The New York Times reported on November 17, citing sources, that Biden had authorized the use of US-supplied ATACMS missiles to launch attacks inside Russia from Ukraine. Meanwhile, the US administration has not made any official statements to either confirm or deny these reports. Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell, in turn, said that some European Union countries had also allowed Ukraine to use their weapons for strikes deep inside Russia.

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned on November 19 that Moscow’s revised nuclear doctrine provided for a nuclear response to the use of Western non-nuclear missiles against Russia. Earlier, Peskov noted that Western countries’ decision indicated "a qualitatively new phase" of tensions.