Andy Burnham said he will continue ‘to support Ukraine 100 per cent’ after Moscow warned Britain would ‘pay’ following confirmation that UK-made drones were used in recent strikes on Russia.
‘We are not fair-weather friends, we will be there in Ukraine’s hour of need and that won’t change,’ the Prime Minister said.
Russia was able to destroy only 180 of the 620 drones Kyiv launched at Moscow on Monday night.
Officials said three people were wounded as air defence systems scrambled to repel one of Ukraine’s biggest attacks on the capital.
Energy facilities were reportedly targeted, including a Moscow oil refinery.
A warehouse belonging to e-commerce giant Wildberries was hit amid claims the firm supplies components for Russian drones.
In Ukraine, Russian missiles killed ten and injured eight others in a village in the Kharkiv region.
Vladimir Putin faced further humiliation as the fear of drone attacks led to the cancellation of an annual Red Square military music festival this weekend for the first time in four years of war.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Britain ‘supports Ukraine 100 per cent’ after Vladimir Putin warned against supplying Kyiv with drones
With frontline fighting at a near standstill, Ukraine and Russia have stepped up long-range attacks, pushing the civilian death toll to its highest since the war began in 2022.
On Monday the Russian embassy in London accused Britain of ‘deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis’ by supplying the drones, adding: ‘London’s actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer.’
And former deputy foreign minister Andrei Fedorov warned Russia could strike Britain as military figures in the Kremlin believe the US would stop any retaliation.
He told Radio 4’s Today: ‘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.’
It comes after Mr Putin threatened on Wednesday to seize British ships in the Pacific.
British-made drones used by Ukraine for strikes on Russian territory include the Nyan – a jet-powered, carbon-fibre attack drone (pictured)
He framed the move as tit-for-tat if Andy Burnham orders the arrest of more Russian shadow fleet tankers carrying oil to boost Moscow’s war coffers.
The Kremlin’s threat on Monday followed reports British drones were used to strike targets on Russian mainland on Sunday.
Drones made by two UK companies were supplied to Ukraine, whose forces deployed the weapons as part of its deep-strike campaign against Russian oil refineries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s campaign against vital Russian resources has cost more than £35billion in economic damage, according to estimates, and has led to fuel shortages across the country.
British-made drones used by Ukraine for strikes on Russian territory include the Nyan – a jet-powered, carbon-fibre attack drone developed by Wiltshire-based Callen-Lenz, a subsidiary of BAE Systems, The Sunday Times reported.
The aircraft has a wingspan of more than 9ft and a reported range of more than 150 miles.
It was reportedly used against Belgorod last year and has since formed part of Ukraine’s expanding deep-strike campaign.
Ukraine has deployed a second unidentified British-made drone, launched by catapult and capable of travelling more than 600 miles.
British systems have reportedly participated in operations targeting Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure during the past six months.
The disclosure over the use of British drones follows Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow missiles in the war, but stocks of these are limited and costs high compared with unmanned planes.
The first known strikes took place in November 2024.
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