Russia has threatened to retaliate after British-made drones were used for the first time by Ukraine in strikes against targets inside Russia. Moscow's embassy in London warned the UK would pay a 'higher price' if it becomes more involved in the war in eastern Europe.
According to Russian state media, the embassy accused the UK of 'deliberately betting on an escalation of the Ukraine crisis, while hypocritically claiming to be striving for peace'. The statement continued: 'The United Kingdom is thus acting as an accomplice and accessory to the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks of Ukrainian neo-Nazis seeking to contain our country and to inflict maximum damage upon it using the hands of others.'
Embassy Statement and Threat
The embassy's statement, reported by Russian state media, further warned: 'London's actions will inevitably have consequences, for which it will have to answer. The deeper its involvement in this conflict and the greater its support for the terrorist machine of Kyiv, the higher the price will be.'
This intervention comes after it was reported that drones made by two UK companies had been deployed by Ukraine to attack Russian oil refineries. Zelensky's campaign against the vital Russian resource has caused more than £35bn in economic damage, according to estimates, and has led to fuel shortages in the country.
British Drones Used in Strikes
The Sunday Times reported that the Nyan drone, made by Callen-Lenz, a subsidiary of defence giant BAE Systems, was used by Ukraine. Another drone was also said to have been used in long-range strikes, but was not named by the newspaper for security reasons. The Nyan drone has a wingspan of 150 miles, so it can only strike parts of Russia close to Ukraine. The flying weapons reportedly struck oil refineries in Volgograd and Yaroslavl, near Moscow.
The Russian Embassy's ominous rhetoric about the use of British drones was escalated by Kremlin TV propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, who issued a nuclear threat to the UK. The Putin ally demanded British arms factories that deliver weapons to Ukraine be hit and sunk. He said: 'Hit them with Poseidon [underwater nuclear drone]. Give the British three days to learn to breathe underwater, then hit them with Poseidon.'
Escalating Rhetoric and Context
Putin already threatened last week to seize British vessels after a Western crackdown on his shadow fleet tankers, which are trying to avoid sanctions on Russian oil. US intelligence recently suggested the Russian president could sanction an attack against Nato territory within weeks to dampen the alliance's support for Kyiv.
Ukraine has used other British-made weapons to hit Putin's territory before. Storm Shadow cruise missiles have previously been deployed by Ukraine's air force to strike targets across the border. The UK, US and France have occasionally given the green light for their weapons to be used to attack Russia, but approval has become less frequent amid dwindling stocks and fears from Donald Trump that it will spark an escalation.
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