Russia has accused the UK of “deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis” after confirmation that UK-made drones have been used in strikes against targets inside Russia.
“In doing so, the United Kingdom is acting as an accomplice and co-perpetrator of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks,” the Russian Embassy in the UK said in a statement.
“London’s actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer,” it added, warning that the deeper Britain’s involvement in the conflict, “the higher the price it will pay”.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) responded by saying Britain stood “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,” an MoD spokesperson said.
Britain remains “committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s illegal invasion”, the spokesperson added.
British drones used against Russian targets
The warning comes as Russia and Ukraine exchanged another wave of attacks overnight from Monday into Tuesday.
The drones were built by two separate British companies and have reportedly been used inside Russia to target military and industrial sites, including refineries and warehouses belonging to Wildberries, one of Russia’s largest online retailers.
Ukraine has repeatedly targeted the company and claims that seven of its 10 largest logistics centres have been “disabled”.
A military source confirmed to the BBC that UK-made drones were used in the attacks, which are reported to have caused more than £35bn in economic damage.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said drones using UK components and configurations had been used to attack Russian territory, including a fuel depot in the Kamensky District of the Rostov Region.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently controls approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Russia and Ukraine exchange fresh strikes
Moscow’s warning came after a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks across Russia.
In the latest overnight attacks, Russian officials said around 620 drones were flown towards the region surrounding Moscow. Air defences destroyed more than 180 of them, while several people were reportedly wounded.
A Wildberries warehouse near Moscow was also hit. Regional governor Andrey Vorobyov said the resulting fire had been extinguished.
Wildberries said in a statement that one of its logistics complexes had sustained “minor damage”.
In Ukraine, at least two people were killed and four injured in Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.
He said Russia had launched 1,158 strikes on 59 settlements in the region over the previous 24 hours.
On Saturday night, Ukraine launched around 822 drones towards Russia, with about 600 targeting Moscow, according to the regional governor.
Seven people were reported killed across Russia, while Russian attacks on Ukraine that night killed at least seven people and injured more than 39.
UK expands drone support
In April, the MoD announced plans to supply Ukraine with tens of thousands of drones, including long-range strike systems, as part of its largest-ever drone package.
The latest developments come as the use of UK-made drones in attacks inside Russia adds another point of tension between Moscow and London.
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