CGTN
Russia warned Britain on Tuesday it would face consequences for supplying drones to Ukraine which are used to attack targets on Russian territory.
Russia’s embassy in London was responding to a report in The Times newspaper on Saturday which said British-made drones had been used for long-range strikes against Russia for the first time.
“London’s actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer,” the embassy said in a statement posted on its Telegram channel.
Ukraine has been using deep-strike drones to hit oil refineries and logistics facilities. Britain’s Ministry of Defence did not confirm whether British drones had been used.
In June, Britain said it would provide 150,000 drones to Ukraine by the end of 2026 as part of a £752-million ($996 million) funding package.
Asked about the Russian embassy comments, a British defense ministry spokesperson said that Britain stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and is committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against Russia.
Since the start of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has repeatedly warned Britain and other Western allies that their support for Kyiv, including the supply of equipment, could provoke retaliatory measures and increase the risk of a broader confrontation.
Surge in Ukrainian drone attacks
In recent weeks, Russia and Ukraine have significantly stepped up long-range attacks deep behind each other’s lines, pushing the civilian death toll to its highest levels since the conflict’s first months in 2022.
Over the weekend, Russian authorities reported that the country had faced Ukraine’s “largest-scale” drone attack this year.
On Tuesday, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said the city came under the largest Ukrainian drone attack in two years, with 620 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) targeting the Russian capital.
“From yesterday evening until 5:00 a.m. today, 620 UAVs were flying toward the Moscow region. Of these, 180 drones were destroyed,” Sobyanin said, adding that emergency crews were working at the debris sites. No casualties or major damage were immediately reported.
In response to the aerial threat, flight operations at Moscow’s Vnukovo, Zhukovsky and Domodedovo airports were temporarily halted, while Sheremetyevo Airport operated under partial restrictions.
The previous record for a drone strike on Moscow was set on Sunday night, involving some 600 UAVs.