MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Moscow warns the UK of “consequences” over British drones used against its territory

Britain's Ministry of Defence responded that the country stands “shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine

Russia's embassy in London has accused the British government of deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine conflict, after it emerged that British-made drones were used in strikes on targets inside Russian territory. “In doing so, the United Kingdom is acting as an accomplice and co-perpetrator of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks,” it said in a statement.

“London's actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer,” the mission added, warning that the deeper Britain's involvement in the conflict, “the higher the price it will pay.”

Britain's Ministry of Defence responded that the country stands “shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine. “Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this Government to stand against Russian aggression, in Ukraine and against the UK and our allies,” a spokesperson said, reiterating the commitment to supply Kyiv with the equipment it needs to defend itself.

The controversy stems from a report in The Sunday Times that Ukraine used drones produced by two British companies in its deep-strike campaign. A military source confirmed to the BBC that the aircraft had been used. Neither company has been publicly identified and the ministry neither confirmed nor denied their specific use. It would be the first verified use of British drones in cross-border strikes on Russian territory since the invasion began in February 2022.

Targets hit include oil refineries in Volgograd and Yaroslavl and warehouses belonging to the online retailer Wildberries. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said drones using British components and configurations had been used against Russian territory, including a fuel depot in the Kamensky district of Rostov region. Kyiv says it has disabled seven of the company's ten largest logistics centres. Various reports put the cumulative economic damage from the campaign at more than 35 billion pounds, an estimate that has not been independently verified.

Russia has issued similar warnings before: it summoned the British ambassador in November 2022 over the attack on the Black Sea Fleet, and in May 2024 threatened to strike British military installations inside and outside Ukraine.

Overnight, according to Russian officials, some 620 drones were directed towards the Moscow region, of which air defences destroyed more than 180, with several people wounded. A Wildberries warehouse was hit and the company reported minor damage. In Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia governor Ivan Fedorov reported at least two dead and four injured, and 1,158 Russian strikes on 59 settlements over 24 hours. None of these tolls can be independently verified.