Russia has threatened the UK with “consequences” and said it will pay a price, after it was confirmed that British drones had been used by Ukraine to carry out attacks on economic and military targets deep in its neighbour’s territory.
The British Prime Minister Andy Burnham responded by saying that the UK would continue “to support Ukraine 100%”. He said: “We are not fair-weather friends, we will be there in Ukraine’s hour of need”.
The Russian embassy in the UK accused Britain of “deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis”, saying “the deeper its involvement in the conflict… the higher the price it will pay”.
Two British companies are known to have built drones supplied to Kyiv. A military source has confirmed to the BBC that UK drones had been used in recent attacks on Russia that reportedly caused more than £35bn in economic damage.
Kyiv has been stepping up long-range attacks on Moscow and other Russian regions, targeting oil refineries and also warehouses of the giant online retailer Wildberries. The attacks have directly affected Russia’s domestic fuel supplies and dented the Russian economy.
The UK has been one of Ukraine’s biggest international supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Ministry of Defence said the UK was “committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against Putin’s illegal invasion”.
Jane Hill presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Jonathan Beale and Dan Johnson.
Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews
For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news
#BBCNews
