Boris Johnson will rebuke the Kremlin for its cyber attacks against the West, telling his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that Britain will retaliate should it continue.

The Foreign Secretary will notify Moscow that Britain possesses sufficient capability to serve as a deterrent to potential cyber-aggressors.

Last week Theresa May accused President Vladimir Putin of using cyber-espionage to sow discord in the West, warning Moscow: "We know what you are doing. And you will not succeed."

On Wednesday, GCHQ revealed that Britain was developing a "full spectrum" of cyber weaponry.

Johnson is the first UK Foreign Secretary to visit Russia in five years, a period in which Moscow's relations with the West have been plunged into the deep freeze by the illegal annexation of Crimea and use of social media to influence democratic elections.

Speaking to Lavrov in Moscow, the Foreign Secretary will ask for a mature dialogue between the two permanent members of the UN Security Council that will allow them to work together on issues of mutual interest such as preserving the Iranian nuclear deal, pushing forward a political settlement in Syria and countering the threat to global stability from North Korea.

Speaking on the eve of the meeting, Johnson said of Britain's cyber capabilities: "Over the last year or 18 months we have fully taken on that argument. The UK is certainly prepared and able to respond should we so desire."

"I can assure you that the UK is a world leader in this field. We don't conduct malign or disruptive cyber activity, but the logic of deterrence is clearly something we appreciate in the cyber field. That is something we have acquired and are acquiring."

Noting that relations between the UK and Russia "haven't been so bad for a very long time," Johnson said: "There are areas in which Russia is behaving in a more hostile way towards our interests than at any time since the end of the Cold War."

"I will make clear to Lavrov that there are things that we find extremely difficult to accept, and we can't accept."

The occupation of Crimea, continuing destabilisation of eastern Ukraine and the western Balkans and attempts to influence democratic processes in the West are all "obstructions in our relationship that can't be ignored", he said.

"Our relations with Russia cannot be 'business as usual' whilst Russia continues to attempt to destabilise European states, including Ukraine. However, it is vital for international security that we do talk to each other, as the consequences of miscommunication or misunderstanding are grave.

"My visit to Russia comes at a critical time as we need to work together to solve the world's most pressing global challenges."