British-made drones have been employed to strike targets within Russia for the first time, according to a military source. These drones, produced by two separate British companies, have successfully targeted military and industrial locations across Russia, including oil refineries and warehouses belonging to the online retailer Wildberries.
The deployment marks a new phase in the conflict, with these strikes reportedly causing over £35 billion in economic damage. Previously, British-manufactured Storm Shadow missiles had been used in the conflict.
The use of UK drones in deep strikes within Russia was first reported by The Sunday Times. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has previously commented on the use of drones with UK components and configurations attacking Russian territory, citing an attack on a fuel depot in the Rostov Region.
In April, the UK Ministry of Defence announced plans to supply Ukraine with tens of thousands of drones, including long-range strike devices, as part of its largest-ever aid package. A ministry spokesperson stated that the UK's support for Ukraine is "unwavering" and includes over 150,000 drones this year, along with advanced Stone Cloak devices and low-cost cruise missiles.
In a separate incident on Sunday, Moscow's mayor reported that approximately 600 Ukrainian drones were launched towards the city overnight. About a third of these were destroyed, and three individuals sustained injuries. One of the sites hit was a warehouse belonging to the Russian online retailer Wildberries, which has been a repeated target since July. Kyiv has stated its aim in targeting such logistics hubs is to disrupt supplies to the Russian army and impede the acquisition of military equipment.