Russia warns UK will pay for supplying drones to Ukraine

Russia has warned the UK of "consequences" following confirmation that British-made drones were used in recent strikes on military and industrial targets in Russia.

In a statement, the Russian embassy to the UK accused Britain of "deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis", adding that "the deeper its involvement in the conflict... the higher the price it will pay".

Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Moscow and elsewhere deep inside Russia, particularly targeting oil refineries and logistics sites for its key online retailer Wildberries.

A spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said they 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," the spokesperson said.

Russia has threatened the UK in the past over its role in providing Ukraine with drone technology, as well as Storm Shadow missiles. The Russian embassy said "London's actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer", but did not elaborate on the type of threat Moscow was considering.

The latest phase of the war has directly affected Russia's domestic fuel supplies and dented the Russian economy.

The UK has been among Ukraine's biggest international supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The MoD said the UK was "committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's illegal invasion".

Ukraine has also been able to use home-grown drone and missile technology in recent weeks, including its FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile.

Hundreds of drones have been launched by Ukrainian forces towards the Moscow region in the past two days alone. Regional governor Andrey Vorobyov said on Tuesday that a 10-year-old girl was hurt and a Wildberries warehouse was damaged.

Meanwhile, 17 people were killed by Russian attacks on Ukraine, including 10 in a village in north-eastern Ukraine.

Two British companies are known to have built drones supplied to Kyiv. A military source confirmed to the BBC that UK drones had been used in the attacks, which are said to have caused more than £35bn in economic damage.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently controls approximately a fifth of Ukrainian territory.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in 2024 that drones using UK components and configurations were used to attack Russian territory, including a fuel depot in the Kamensky district of the Rostov region.