The UK will continue its Ukraine support “100%”, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said, after Moscow warned of “consequences” over the use of British-made drones in recent Ukrainian strikes inside Russia.
“We are not fair-weather friends, we will be there in Ukraine’s hour of need and that won’t change,” Burnham said.
The Russian Embassy in the UK had accused Britain of “deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis”, warning that the deeper the UK becomes involved in the conflict, “the higher the price it will pay”.
Asked about the threat, Burnham said the UK was providing support so Ukraine could defend itself.
“That’s been the British position all the way through this conflict, by previous prime ministers – it remains the case with me,” he said.
The UK Ministry of Defence said Britain remained “committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
British drones used in strikes
Ukraine has stepped up attacks deep inside Russia in recent weeks, targeting oil refineries, logistics facilities and other military and industrial sites.
Two British companies are known to have built drones supplied to Kyiv. A military source confirmed to the BBC that UK-made drones had been used in recent attacks on Russian targets, which are reported to have caused more than £35 billion in economic damage.
Russia has previously criticised British involvement in Ukraine’s drone programme and the supply of Storm Shadow missiles.
In 2024, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said drones using British components and configurations had been used to attack Russian territory, including a fuel depot in the Rostov region.
In April, the UK announced that it would provide Ukraine with tens of thousands of drones, including long-range strike systems, as part of its largest military aid package to the country.
Burnham also previously told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukraine could “count on the UK for as long as it takes”.
Russia warns of consequences
The Russian Embassy said London’s actions would “inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer”, without specifying what action Moscow might take.
Russia currently controls around a fifth of Ukrainian territory, although its forces have made limited progress on the front line in recent months.
The conflict has nevertheless continued to cause significant casualties on both sides.
UN officials said 437 civilians were killed in Ukraine last month, the country’s highest monthly civilian death toll since May 2022. Russian officials, meanwhile, said 69 people, including three children, had been killed in Ukraine-linked attacks in Russia over the past week.
Deadly strikes continue
At least 17 people were killed in the latest Russian attacks on Ukraine, including 10 people in the village of Pechenihy in the north-east early on Tuesday.
Two missiles struck homes, a cafe and a post office in the village, officials said. Three people were also killed in Sumy, two in Zaporizhzhia and two in Kherson.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Ukrainian drones have targeted the Moscow region over the past two days.
Regional governor Andrey Vorobyov said a 10-year-old girl was injured and a Wildberries warehouse was damaged in the latest attacks.
Russian officials said around 620 drones had been launched towards the Moscow region overnight, with more than 180 destroyed by air defences.
Ukraine has also increasingly relied on domestically developed drone and missile technology, including its FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile.
Wider concerns over hybrid threats
Russia’s threats against Ukraine’s Western allies have also raised concerns over potential hybrid warfare across Europe.
Although incidents are rarely officially attributed to Moscow, several cases involving drones near sensitive military and industrial sites have been reported.
Last week, German officials warned of a “real, very acute” risk from hybrid attacks after a drone carrying explosives was defused near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle airport, a key military hub for Germany and NATO allies.
Germany is also planning to give its intelligence agencies wider powers to counter drone threats and disrupt hostile actors.
Also read: Russia threatens UK over drones supplied to Ukraine
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