Russia has warned Britain that it could face “consequences” for supplying Ukraine with drones used for long-range attacks inside Russian territory.
“London’s actions will inevitably have consequences, to which it will have to answer,” the Russian embassy in London said in a statement on Monday. “The deeper the involvement in the conflict and the greater the support for terrorist organizations in Kyiv, the greater the price to pay.”
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“London is deliberately choosing to escalate the Ukraine crisis while hypocritically professing a desire for peace,” the embassy wrote on Telegram.
“In doing so, the UK is acting as an accomplice and collaborator in a bloody crime and terrorist attack.”
Former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Fedorov told the BBC on Tuesday that “consequences” could include the possibility of an attack. He said many military experts advising the Kremlin were confident that NATO would not respond forcefully if Russia attacked Britain. “President Trump will not allow NATO to respond,” he said.
The threat follows reports that Ukraine is using long-range drones to attack key Russian targets, including oil refineries and logistics facilities. Drones made by two British companies have been used in many of these attacks, according to an investigation by The Times.
On Monday night and early Tuesday, the mayor of Moscow announced that Ukraine At least 637 drones were launched towards the Russian capital, 197 of which were shot down by Russian air defenses.
The British Ministry of Defense has not confirmed that its drones were used to attack Russian territory. Since Russia’s war with Ukraine began in 2022, the Kremlin has repeatedly warned London and Ukraine’s other Western allies that providing long-range weapons would be seen as escalation.
But following a warning from the Russian embassy on Monday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the British government would continue to support Ukraine “100 per cent”.
Mr Burnham said: “This is what the UK has long said we will do: support Ukraine 100 per cent against this illegal war led by (Russian President) Vladimir Putin.”
“We are providing support to help Ukraine protect itself. That has been Britain’s position throughout this conflict, under successive Prime Ministers, and that remains the case for me today. We are not fair-weather friends.”
Here we take a look at why Russia has now issued this warning to the UK and whether there is a risk of a wider conflict.
What military equipment does the UK provide to Ukraine?
In April, the UK Ministry of Defense announced the largest ever drone package for Ukraine, starting deliveries of at least 120,000 drones. The package includes “thousands of long-range attack drones, intelligence and reconnaissance drones, logistics drones, and maritime capabilities,” the ministry said in a statement.
And in June, London announced a £752 million ($996 million) funding package for Ukraine by the end of 2026, including 150,000 drones.
This follows a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Downing Street in June 2025, where Zelenskiy announced that the two countries would begin joint production of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.
But London’s involvement is not limited to drones. Britain was the first country to commit to providing Ukraine with a modern Western tank, the Challenger 2 model, to replace the country’s Soviet-era tanks. It was also the first time that Russia supplied Kiev with Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles to attack Russian forces behind the front lines.
Britain is also funding and supplying thousands of air defense missiles, anti-armor missiles, artillery systems, armored and support vehicles, and providing training to Ukrainian soldiers.
Where are British-made drones and components used?
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian territory this year, increasingly targeting military industries and energy facilities in a bid to cut Russia’s oil revenues to fund the war and force the country’s population to feel the effects of the conflict that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the drones, which included British parts and configurations, were used to attack targets inside Russia, including the Russian military-industrial Kamensky plant in the Rostov region.
The BBC reported that the drones were used to attack military and industrial targets, including the refinery and warehouses of Russian retail giant Wildberry, known as the Russian Amazon.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has raided several Wildberry warehouses used to supply Russian military parts. The company and the Kremlin deny Ukraine’s claims.
The company was forced to limit orders last week after a Ukrainian drone crashed into its warehouse in Yekaterinburg, 2,087 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. On Tuesday, a Wild Berry’s warehouse east of Moscow was also damaged in a drone attack.
In addition to these high-profile attacks, the physical reality of the war is increasingly shifting toward Russia’s capital. On Saturday night and early Sunday morning, Ukraine launched its largest airstrike against Russia, launching 822 drones and killing seven people. Moscow’s regional governor said the city had witnessed “one of the largest drone attacks in recent memory.”
What does “results” mean for Russia?
Mr Burnham vowed on Tuesday that Britain would not back down from providing military support to Ukraine.
Work and Pensions Secretary Lilian Greenwood said the UK “continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine” despite the Russian government’s warnings.
“The Russians should make it clear that our determination to support our Ukrainian friends and provide them with the necessary equipment remains absolutely unwavering,” she told Sky News.
The Russian embassy in the UK did not elaborate on what “consequences” London might face.
Russia could choose to target British military and intelligence interests abroad, or step up cyber attacks and other forms of hybrid warfare. The European Union and the United Kingdom announced coordinated sanctions against Russia last month after reports of digital sabotage across Europe.
But the Russian threat also raises questions about whether Putin intends to attack Britain and risk NATO intervention.
Mr Fedorov told the BBC on Tuesday that the Russian government may be “interpreting it as Britain joining the war”. “Russia has the right to attack countries that support Ukraine,” he told Radio 4’s flagship Today program.
“From my personal point of view, I cannot rule out anything,” Fedorov said. “There are many people in the upper echelons of Moscow who say that all companies connected to Ukraine are being legally targeted and could therefore be hit by Russia.”
He said military experts in Moscow were saying, “Russia can attack Britain, but NATO won’t do anything, they’re saying, ‘Don’t worry.’ President Trump won’t let NATO answer. Given the current instability in NATO, there’s a good chance that NATO will do nothing, issue a statement, or invoke Article 4 but not Article 5.”
“Donald Trump remains the keeper of the keys to NATO,” he added.
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty stipulates that an armed attack against one NATO member state is considered an attack against all NATO member states. President Trump has been at odds with the Atlantic Alliance, accusing it of not doing enough to support the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran.
In contrast, NATO Article IV provides for consultation whenever a member state feels its territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened, but this does not automatically lead to military action.
