Russia Warns UK Over Drone Supplies to Ukraine

Moscow (GNP): Russia has accused the United Kingdom of deliberately escalating the conflict in Ukraine after it emerged that British-made drones had been used in strikes on targets inside Russian territory.

In a statement, the Russian Embassy to the UK said London was acting as an accomplice to what it described as bloody crimes and terrorist attacks, warning that Britain’s actions would carry consequences and that deeper involvement in the conflict would come at a higher price.

Responding to the accusation, a spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defence said Britain stood shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and that Russia should be in no doubt about the government’s resolve to stand against Russian aggression, both in Ukraine and against threats to the UK and its allies.

The spokesperson added that Britain remained committed to providing Ukraine with the equipment it needs to defend itself against Russia’s invasion.

The drones at the centre of the dispute were built by two separate British companies and have reportedly been used inside Russia to target military and industrial sites, including fuel refineries and warehouses belonging to the online retailer Wildberries, often described as Russia’s equivalent of Amazon.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted the company’s logistics network and says seven out of ten of its largest facilities have been disabled. A military source confirmed to reporters that UK-supplied drones had been involved in these strikes, which are estimated to have caused more than £35 billion in economic damage.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova separately said drones using UK components and configurations had struck a fuel depot in the Kamensky District of Russia’s Rostov region.

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The exchange comes amid an intensifying wave of drone strikes between the two sides. Russian officials said around 620 drones were flown toward the Moscow region overnight, with air defences destroying more than 180 of them, though several people were wounded in the attack.

A strike the previous night killed nine people and injured 23, including a child. On Saturday, Ukraine launched approximately 822 drones toward Russia, with 600 targeting Moscow, in what a regional governor described as one of the most massive drone attacks on the Russian capital in recent memory; seven deaths were reported across the country. Russian strikes on Ukraine the same night killed at least seven people and injured more than 39.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently controls approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. In April, the Ministry of Defence announced it would supply Ukraine with tens of thousands of drones, including long-range strike devices, in what was described as Britain’s largest such package to date.