BEIJING Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu warned the West that the escalation of conflict with Russia in the Ukraine war threatens a "direct military clash between nuclear powers" at a defence forum in Beijing on Monday.

"The Western line of steady escalation of the conflict with Russia carries the threat of a direct military clash between nuclear powers, which is fraught with catastrophic consequences," Russia's TASS state news agency cited Shoigu as saying.

Shoigu also claimed the West intends to inflict "strategic defeat" on Russia in a "hybrid war", and praised the model of Russia-China relations as "exemplary", Russian state media reported.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Sydney; Writing by Liz Lee and Laurie Chen in Beijing; Editing by Tom Hogue)