Prime Minister Andy Burnham has stated that Britain "supports Ukraine 100 per cent" following Russian President Vladimir Putin's warning of repercussions for supplying Kyiv with drones. "We are not fair-weather friends, we will be there in Ukraine's hour of need and that won't change," Burnham said, as reported by the Daily Mail.
This exchange comes after Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow, with Russian air defenses reportedly destroying 180 out of 620 deployed drones. Officials indicated that three people were injured during the incident, which targeted energy facilities, including a Moscow oil refinery, and a warehouse belonging to e-commerce company Wildberries. Claims suggest the latter firm supplies components for Russian drones.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, Russian missile strikes in the Kharkiv region resulted in ten fatalities and eight injuries. The ongoing conflict also led to the cancellation of an annual Red Square military music festival for the first time in four years, attributed to concerns over drone attacks.
Escalation of Long-Range Attacks
The conflict, which began in 2022, has seen an increase in long-range attacks from both Ukraine and Russia, contributing to the highest civilian death toll since the war's inception. The Russian embassy in London accused Britain of "deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis" by supplying drones, warning that "London's actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer." Some Russian military figures have suggested that Russia could target Britain, with former deputy foreign minister Andrei Fedorov telling Radio 4's Today program that "there are a lot of people in the military community who are saying Russia can strike the UK and Nato will do nothing. Trump will not allow Nato to answer."
These threats follow reports of British-made drones being used in strikes on Russian territory. Two UK companies supplied drones to Ukraine, which have been employed in strikes targeting Russian oil refineries. These attacks are estimated to have caused over £35 billion in economic damage and contributed to fuel shortages in Russia.
Among the British-supplied drones is the Nyan, a jet-powered, carbon-fibre attack drone with a wingspan of over 9 feet and a range exceeding 150 miles, developed by Callen-Lenz, a subsidiary of BAE Systems. This drone was reportedly used against Belgorod last year and has become part of Ukraine's expanding deep-strike campaign. Ukraine is also reportedly using a second, unidentified British-made drone launched by catapult, capable of traveling over 600 miles. British systems have been involved in operations targeting Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure over the past six months, with the first known strikes occurring in November 2024.