A remarkable summer windows slams shut this evening, but there is plenty more to be done on Deadline Day as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham. Julian Alvarez has been the Gunners’ dream signing for weeks, but Malick Fofana has emerged as an alternative option. Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus will both leave, for Saudi Arabia and Barcelona, respectively. Man Utd still need a new left-back, and are actively pursuing one in the final hours, but the clock is ticking on a late move.

Surrey Police investigations remain ongoing.

The force said in a statement earlier: “The M25 is currently closed both ways between J10, Wisley and J11, Chertsey due to a serious collision.

“If travelling to Heathrow Airport or Gatwick Airport, please check your travel time before you depart as your journey is likely to be impacted.”

John Healey used his first international meetings with counterparts at the G7 in North Carolina to build an international coalition to target covert Russian networks funding the war in Ukraine

John Healey has announced new actions to clamp down on Russia’s evasion of economic sanctions as he called on international allies to help “disrupt the financial networks fuelling Russia’s aggression”. The new Chancellor used his first international meetings with counterparts at the G7 in North Carolina to build an international coalition to target covert Russian networks funding the war in Ukraine. The primary action announced by Mr Healey targets the so-called “A7 network”, which the Foreign Office said was being used by Russia to evade existing restrictions and channel funds to fuel the conflict.

On Monday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Government issued the first ever nationwide alert against A7 to support the private sector in bearing down on sanctions evasion. According to the Government, the alert aims to disrupt Kremlin-backed networks who have sought to escape economic sanctions through a web of financial structures spanning multiple jurisdictions. It also aims to prevent Russian attempts to regain access to the UK’s financial systems.

It was also announced that Mr Healey would double the maximum fine available to the Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation from 50% to 100% of the value of a sanctions breach. “We are ramping up the economic pressure on Putin and leaving those aiding his illegal war with nowhere to hide,” Mr Healey said. “The UK and our allies must step up our international cooperation to expose sanctions evasion, and disrupt the financial networks fuelling Russia’s aggression. “Our commitment to stand with the Ukrainian people is unshakeable. We will bear down on those propping up Putin’s war as we push to secure a just and lasting peace.”

Rachael Herbert, director of the National Economic Crime Centre at the NCA, said: “The National Crime Agency and the National Economic Crime Centre are committed to targeting the nexus between organised crime and sanctions evasion. “Last year, our Operation Destabilise targeted and disrupted a major Russian-speaking professional money laundering network, making it harder for them to operate and degrading the threat they posed. “And through our close working with the financial sector in our public private partnership initiatives, as well as with the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, this alert will continue to ensure the industry is aware of the mechanisms used to attempt to evade sanctions.”

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He urged a need to “step up international co-operation” to deal with a “number of challenges” including the Middle East, energy prices, cost of living and growth. “Britain faces these global pressures from a position of relative strength, the fastest growth in the G7 advanced nations in the first half of this year, the deficit being cut faster than in any other G7 country,” he said. “But no country can face these pressures alone. And these shocks are being felt worldwide. They’ve been felt in people’s pockets, in their weekly shops, filling up their cars. “And so I’m here to work with international partner nations to deepen our economic resilience, to deliver good growth and also to give families and businesses just a bit of breathing space.” Mr Healey held meetings with Canadian finance minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent and managing director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva, among others.

After a summer holidaying around Europe on their £16million yacht it was time for David Beckham to return to tend to his garden.  

The former footballer, 51, who has become a keen gardener at the family’s £12million Cotswolds home, made sure to impress his wife Victoria as he showed off his plums, garlic, onions and one extra special pumpkin. 

As Victoria filmed her husband as he showed off his wares, the former Spice Girl, 52, was left gobsmacked by a rather bizarrely shaped long pumpkin. 

Asking: ‘What is that David?’ he replied: ‘It is a pumpkin.

‘I have never seen a pumpkin that shape. I don’t even know what to say,’ added a shocked Victoria. 

David also made sure to show off his juicy plums in the innuendo-filled clip before collecting eggs from the chicken coop. 

The former footballer, 51, who has become a keen gardener at the family’s £12million Cotswolds home, showed off his plums, garlic, onions and one extra special pumpkin

Harvesting a large spring onion, Victoria teased: ‘Bit of an anticlimax maybe?’ 

‘You call that an anticlimax,’ replied David as Victoria joked: ‘Well it isn’t as big as the others.’ 

David hit back: ‘Have you ever seen the spring onions that you buy in the supermarket? This isn’t a supermarket spring onion.’

He was also keen to show off his bulb of garlic as he boasted: ‘Not being funny but that is an overachieving garlic.’

‘That is impressive. I love that for you,’ added Victoria.  

In the final video David found himself beaten by a carrot which refused to be uprooted. 

‘Use two hands,’ advised Victoria, as David gave her a cheeky look before she continued: ‘Do you want me to get help? Oh my god the suspense, the suspense is killing me.’

David and Victoria have returned to their Cotswolds home after spending Saturday at Reading Festival to watch their son Cruz perform. 

Harvesting a large spring onion, Victoria teased: ‘Bit of an anticlimax maybe?’ ‘You call that an anticlimax,’ replied David as Victoria joked: ‘Well it isn’t as big as the others’

David also made sure to show off his juicy plums in the innuendo-filled clip before collecting eggs from the chicken coop

He was also keen to show off his bulb of garlic as he boasted: ‘Not being funny but that is an overachieving garlic

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The youngest of the Beckham sons, 21, has had an incredible year touring the UK with his band and earlier this month they released their EP Wear & Tear. 

And his parents made sure to jet back from the Amalfi Coast to rainy Reading in time to watch their son play The Canopy stage at the renowned festival. 

Despite the torrential rain, the couple were undeterred as they watched intently from the side of the stage, Victoria still donning her shades. 

Cruz’s brother Romeo, sister Harper and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel were also watching as they beamed with pride. 

A concertgoer told the Daily Mail: ‘They are all there listening and supporting Cruz and Victoria has been embracing David affectionately while watching.’

Jackie also made sure to support the star as she took to her Instagram Story earlier in the day wearing a bright yellow T-shirt which read: ‘Cruz Beckham sang to me.’  

Cruz became the latest nepo baby to hit the festival stage with Liam Gallagher’s youngest son Gene, 25, performing with his band Villanelle the day prior. 

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s son Moses also played with his band People I’ve Met on Friday and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl’s daughter Violet is due to take to the stage on Sunday. 

Posting on his Instagram Story before his festival slot, Cruz shared a close up selfie as he penned: ‘Reading, I cannot wait.’ 

After Reading, Cruz and his band will be moving on to Leeds on Sunday, with a total of six shows planned to coincide with the release of the Wear & Tear EP.

The tracks are titled: Better Times, WANNABE, Seeing Red, Loneliest Boy and Wear & Tear.

Cruz, says the new EP, which he recorded with his band The Breakers, captures ‘a life lived’ – the good, the bad and all the ‘learning curves’ in between.

He added that he hopes the EP gets across the message that, despite people having different life experiences, they can still share emotions.

By LILY JOBSON, SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER

Published: 19:16 BST, 31 August 2026 | Updated: 03:47 BST, 1 September 2026

Love Is Blind UK stars have spilled all the unseen secrets you didn’t see in the pods during this year’s drama-packed season three.

Netflix fans watched 30 singletons date blindly in pods hoping to get engaged to their husband or wife in a bid to see if love really is blind.

The cast members shared that many more connections and proposals happen in the pods than what actually makes the final Netflix cut. 

The series followed just six of the 14 engaged couples as they honeymooned, lived together and walked down the aisle in a huge extravaganza.

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Hosts Emma Willis and her husband Matt reunited with the cast in Sunday’s finale episode to find out if those who said ‘I do’ stood the test of time.

Following the explosive reunion, Ciara and Chevanique have revealed what really went on behind-the-scenes throughout the process.

Love Is Blind UK stars have spilled all the unseen secrets you didn’t see in the pods during this year’s drama-packed season three (Ciara pictured)

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Following the explosive reunion, Ciara and Chevanique (pictured) have revealed what really went on behind-the-scenes throughout the process

Ciara, who married Ajay, was one of the first to fall in love within just two weeks of dating while Chevanique failed to find a suitor.

Reflecting on her ‘intense’ experience in an interview with the Daily Mail, Ciara revealed a lot of her dates weren’t aired.

She said: ‘I experienced every emotion that you physically could and it’s just something you can’t explain to anyone, especially the pods like dating, starting off dating for 15 people. 

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‘Obviously behind a wall, building these intense, strong connection is all consuming because that’s all you’re doing all day, every day for two weeks.’

The Pilates instructor added: ‘There was a lot of mine and Ajay’s relationships that you just don’t see at all, especially in the pods.

‘It’s only [filmed] for 10 hours, you know. I mean, they can’t show everything. There was a really lovely moment where Ajay had actually planned for me to teach him Pilates. I was talking him through a class and that was very sweet.’

While power couple Emma and Matt are rarely seen in the episodes, Ciara and Chevanique revealed they are much more involved behind-the-scenes.

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Revealing the sweet words of advice Emma gave the girls’, Chevanique said: ‘When I spoke to Emma, she’d just say, ‘Be true to yourself’.

‘You know, she’s a fellow brummie girl, so she was like, “Just be you” I think we just all kind of followed that.’

Ciara, who married Ajay, was one of the first to fall in love within just two weeks of dating while Chevanique failed to find a suitor

Reflecting on her ‘intense’ experience in an interview with the Daily Mail, Ciara revealed a lot of her dates weren’t aired

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While power couple Emma and Matt are rarely seen in the episodes, Ciara and Chevanique revealed they are much more involved behind-the-scenes

Join the discussion

Do you think reality TV should show all the behind-the-scenes drama and secrets to viewers?

She added of Emma and Matt’s marriage: ‘They are so genuine as a couple, you can see that connection and they just told us to be open and honest.’

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Chevanique revealed only part of her journey in the pods were aired as she admitted Joshua wasn’t her only connection.

Chevanique said: ‘A lot of people are assuming that Joseph was my only connection. He wasn’t, he wasn’t even my number one connection. 

‘There was two people I was dating in the pods and Joseph being one of them and I walked away from one connection that I didn’t think suited me because the person wasn’t very genuine.

‘And I was still exploring my other connection and that ended how it was supposed to end.’

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A network of AI licence plate readers run by a private company called Flock is rapidly expanding across the US.

There are now about 130,000 across the country, mostly used by law enforcement agencies.

The expansion has led to privacy concerns and protests.

BBC Verify examines Flock’s system and the growing backlash against it – as Jake Horton reports.

Produced by Krystal Campos. Graphics by Leo Scutt-Richter.

Presenter Joel Dommett made the comments as the the programme is up for a prize at this year’s National Television Awards in a new category recognising the rise of the fly-on-the-wall celebrity-led shows.

The reality TV show follows Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson as runs his Diddly Squat Farm near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, while highlighting the daily challenges of British agriculture.

The programme’s fate will be decided at the awards ceremony on Tuesday, which will be broadcast live from The O2 in London and hosted by comedian Dommett for the sixth year.

In an interview with the Press Association, Dommett expressed his excitement for the upcoming event while discussing the many nominees and “amazing cultural moments” created on TV over the past year.

The 41-year-old said: “Television is everyone’s medium, it’s a beautiful thing that doesn’t just bring your family together but it brings the country together.

“It brings the world together in these amazing cultural moments where everyone is watching something in the country – Mr Bates vs The Post Office, The Traitors, I’m A Celebrity, which you have to watch because it’s what everyone’s talking about in the office.

“It feels really cool right now that those moments are still coming at us thick and fast.”

Dommett said it is “really exciting” to see the NTAs first all-female shortlist in the drama performance category, adding: “I feel like I’m rooting for all of them.

“There’s a really great bunch on there, and it feels long overdue to have a full female category.”

The broadcaster also praised industry peers Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly and said he was “rooting for them”, and hailed Clarkson’s Farm as “one of my favourite shows”.

The Gloucestershire-born star said: “I grew up on a farm, so I understand the slightly agricultural references and stuff – but the show also works for people who don’t.

“I just think it’s one of the best shows in telly, and the numbers speak for itself.

“It has also got this amazing, really important message that’s being delivered to the country to people who don’t necessarily understand that farming is in jeopardy, and in a really difficult position right now.”

Since launching the show, Clarkson has become a vocal supporter of farmers and even attended a protest in London against the Government’s move to introduce inheritance tax on farmland in November 2024.

Dommett told PA: “The weather this year has completely ruined crops for almost everyone, and that’s people’s livelihoods.

“Then you’ve got the fact the Government don’t help either.

“It’s just become this real storm of uncertainty for farmers, and I think it’s really difficult.

“I love that Jeremy’s bringing attention to that – it’s really cool.”

Others nominated include beloved naturalist Sir David Attenborough, who is competing against the likes of Ant and Dec in the TV presenter category.

Dommett said: “I always root for Ant and Dec, because I love them. But they are against David Attenborough this year – how is this going to turn out?”

He also said that despite hosting the NTAs five times, he still finds the experience “a bit daunting”, but added: “It’s such an interesting night to host. I love doing it, and I love doing live television.

“It’s really fun and feels really exciting to me.

“The fact that it’s voted for by the people at home makes it even more exciting.”

The NTAs will be broadcast live on ITV1 and ITVX on September 8 from 8pm.

Prime minister Balendra Shah said the catastrophic floods that tore through northern Nepal along the Tibet border were driven by the climate crisis and demanded international action as the Himalayan country assessed damage.

Nepal officials said at least 939 bodies have been recovered, while almost 4,000 people, including 538 foreign nationals, remained missing as rescuers raced against time to find survivors on day seven of the operation.

“The flood in the Bhotekoshi river in Rasuwa was not an ordinary flood,” said Mr Shah in a late-night post on social media.

The rapper-turned-politician is facing his biggest challenge since being elected to power earlier this year, but has largely remained away from speaking to reporters and instead turned to social media for sharing updates.

“It was one of the region’s major disasters, triggered by an avalanche of snow and ice in the Himalayan region,” Mr Shah said.

He said the disaster indicated “the risks we face in the Himalayan region are increasing alongside climate change”.

It began with the collapse of part of a glacier in Tibet, which led a huge mass of ice and rock travelling rapidly into the valley below and striking the Lhende river, temporarily damming the water before the barrier gave way and released a powerful flood downstream.

The prime minister said Nepal should “strongly raise” with the international community the series of disasters it faced “as a result of climate change”.

Mr Shah, in a previous Facebook post, said the flood was an “unprecedented and devastating natural disaster” and it remained challenging to compile a complete assessment of the damage. “Despite the adverse weather, difficult terrain and continuing risks, we are moving forward with determination to save the lives of our citizens,” he added.

The Himalayan nation of less than 30 million people, has contributed little to the emissions driving global warming, yet it is bearing the brunt of a crisis fuelled by larger nations.

Steep Himalayan landscapes have always experienced landslides, avalanches and floods. However, scientists say, the climate crisis has aggravated weather events.

Glaciers across the Hindu Kush mountain systems are losing ice at an accelerating rate, while permafrost degradation, unstable slopes, glacial lakes and increasingly erratic rainfall raising the risks of floods, landslides and debris flows, according to reports by Kathmandu-based International Center for Integrated Mountain Development.

Nepal’s finance minister, Swarnim Wagle, said initial estimates suggest the country may need up to $5bn or $3.6bn to rebuild the Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts near the Tibet border.

“We will require much less than what ​we needed for the 2015 earthquake. Loss and damage ​is being assessed,” he told Reuters, without elaborating on why the reconstruction bill was expected to be less than the $9bn spent after the ​2015 magnitude-7.8 ⁠quake, that killed 9,000 people.

Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure estimates that $124bn or £100bn worth of Nepal’s infrastructure is exposed to climate-driven disasters, creating the potential for hundreds of millions of dollars in losses each year.

A report by the coalition earlier this year found that Nepal’s average annual losses are nearly $760m or £561m from various disasters, while the country’s national disaster funds is only a fraction of this amount.

EXCLUSIVE: Opposition parties have warned SNP ministers they cannot ignore the situation in many of the country’s schools, where parents and pupils have reported worsening behaviour.

John Swinney has been challenged to spell out how he will improve Scots schools where “standards are down and violence is up“.

The First Minister will today announce his Programme for Government for the next five years, with a focus expected on slashing costs across the public sector and offering Scots more support with the cost of living.

But opposition parties have warned SNP ministers they cannot ignore the situation in many of the country’s schools, where parents and pupils have reported worsening behaviour and rising cases of playground violence.

The Record previously reported how campaigners have called on members of the public to “seriously consider” the impact of youth violence in a consultation about phone bans in Scottish schools.

The discussion has been opened to help the Scottish Government work out “finer details” of a ban. It comes amid the Record’s Our Kids … Our Future campaign, which was launched in 2023 after a spate of violent attacks on young people in Scotland were filmed and uploaded online.

Labour and the Lib Dems are now calling on SNP ministers to set out how to improve standards ahead of the publication next week of the PISA report, the world’s largest international comparative survey of 15-year-old students.

The last PISA publication in 2023 found standards across Scots high schools had slipped.

Duncan Dunlop, Scottish Lib Dems education spokesman, said: “Scotland’s education system used to be the envy of the world, but under the SNP, it has suffered blow after blow.

“Standards are down and violence is up. Not enough is being done to allow communities to help schools as there’s no meaningful participation. Headteachers also lack the powers they need.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats were the first to call for a ban on mobile phones in classrooms, and it’s important we see that incorporated into the programme for government.

“Ultimately, if John Swinney’s agenda is to be worth the paper it’s written on, he will need to produce a clear plan for boosting support for teachers and pupils so we can return Scottish education to its best.”

Katherine Sangster, Scottish Labour education spokeswoman, said: “After 20 years of the SNP, Scotland no longer has a world-renowned education system.

“That is a damning indictment of the failure we have seen after decades of neglect by SNP ministers. In schools, attendance is at a record low, violence is at a record high, and the poverty related attainment gap is widening.

“That is entirely unacceptable and it is why the SNP must use this Programme for Government as an opportunity to tackle the challenges that are facing our education system.

“The SNP are yet to deliver on promises made in the last parliament – from reducing teacher class contact time to universal free lunches.

“We cannot have yet more broken promises. The SNP must start delivering and restoring our education system to the standard it should.”

The Record asked the Scottish Government for comment.

A squirming Vladimir Putin has been told to halt his war in Ukraine for the sake of humanity during a meeting in Kyrgyzstan with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  

The two world leaders met on the sidelines of the two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, which seeks to be a counterbalance to the West.

The regional SCO bloc – which brings together Russia, China, Iran, India, Pakistan, four central Asian countries and Belarus – is celebrating its 25-year anniversary.

‘We need to move from an endless war to the end of the war,’ Modi told the Russian President, who was awkwardly looking down and away from the leader’s gaze, during the broadcasted moment on Monday.

A stern-faced Putin then slapped down his earpiece – used to hear the translation – and said through gritted teeth: ‘Thank you very much, Mr Prime Minister. We are moving in that direction.’

On the ground in Ukraine, there is little sign Putin is edging towards peace. 

Instead, the Russian leader appears to be stepping up the war, launching repeated strikes across the country, including attacks on food warehouses that are now being blamed for alarming shortages and empty supermarket shelves. 

During Monday’s tense encounter, Modi, 75, told the 73-year-old Kremlin ruler: ‘Every day of war sets the humanity back, whereas every step taken towards peace fills the humanity with new hope and enthusiasm.’

Modi called for an end to the four-and-a-half-year war, calling peace ‘crucial for the well-being of humanity’

A stern-faced Putin then slapped down his earpiece, used to hear the translation, as he addressed Modi’s plea

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He urged an end to the four-and-a-half-year war, calling peace ‘crucial for the well-being of humanity’ as he confronted an uncomfortable-looking Putin: 

‘A peaceful resolution to all issues at the earliest is the call of humanity, and this is India’s message.

‘The land of Gandhi and Buddha shares a single message: the path of peace.’

This followed the Russian president’s accusations, during an August 22 address, that Ukraine is opening a ‘Pandora’s box’ and threatened ‘blowback on the most sensitive sectors of your economy’.

Earlier that day, speaking to United Russia, the Kremlin’s ruling party, he dismissed suggestions that the war was coming to an end. ‘The special military operation continues,’ he said. ‘We will move only forward.’

It comes as ordinary Russians are increasingly bearing the brunt of the war, facing relentless Ukrainian drone attacks, internet restrictions and a struggling economy. 

According to The Economist, discontent is even greater among Russia’s elites, with one insider claiming they are increasingly frustrated by the length of the conflict.

Mr Putin reportedly believes he could be at risk if he ends the war without achieving at least his minimum goal of capturing the entire Donbas region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands on Monday during a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit 

Members of the delegations, led by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, attend a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit

Smoke rises in Ukraine’s Kyiv amid a Russian drone attack on Monday 

‘They will hang me,’ he reportedly said, according to an insider cited by The Economist.

Russia has suffered an estimated 1.4 million battlefield casualties, including up to 450,000 deaths, since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to the Centre for Strategic & International Studies. 

Meanwhile, Moscow’s losses are now thought to be outpacing recruitment, with more than 30,000 troops killed or wounded each month in 2026 against an estimated 27,000 new recruits. 

For every Ukrainian casualty, Russia is now suffering almost eight of its own, compared with just two or three for much of the conflict. The growing disparity has been driven in large part by Ukraine’s widespread use of drones, including AI-enabled weapons. 

Putin also met with ally Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summit on Monday as they discussed Ukraine, Russian media reported.

Although they reportedly discussed Ukraine, it was not the main theme of their meeting, the Kremlin said.

Mr Putin and Xi have previously used SCO summits to promote their vision of a multipolar world and present a united front against the West.

Sources close to the Kremlin have claimed Mr Putin has chosen to escalate the war, fearing he could face backlash from the Russian public if he ends the conflict without being able to claim victory.

Russia’s defence ministry on Sunday said it was gearing up for large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in a tit-for-tat response to strikes by Kyiv.

‘Russian forces have begun preparations for massive strikes against facilities in Ukraine’s energy sector in response to the ongoing attacks by the Kyiv regime on civilian infrastructure and on Russia’s oil and energy complex,’ it said on Telegram.

Last winter, Moscow repeatedly hit Ukrainian power plants, devastating the country’s energy sector and plunging millions of people into cold and darkness in sub-zero temperatures.

Both sides have for several months escalated long-range strikes, targeting infrastructure such as warehouses, businesses, oil and port facilities, as well as ships, which has led to an increase in civilian casualties.

On Sunday, the Russian army claimed to have struck a plant in Kyiv producing asbestos and cement whose warehouses, it said, were used to store explosives, as well as a manufacturer of drones and munitions.

On Saturday, a Russian strike on an ammunition depot in the suburbs of the Ukrainian capital triggered a huge explosion and killed at least 37 people.

Firefighters deal with the aftermath of a Russian drone strike in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv

Ukraine for its part attacked an oil refinery with drones in northwestern Russia, causing a fire, according to local authorities.

Meanwhile, Nato is facing a particularly fraught moment, as Russian drones repeatedly test the defences of countries along the alliance’s eastern frontier.

But other European nations are also increasingly coming under threat.

Just last week, Russia threatened to target British factories in a ‘semi-military’ response to the UK’s support for Ukraine.

On Monday, Moscow accused the UK of ‘participating in this war’ after Andy Burnham arrived in Kyiv for his first foreign visit since becoming Prime Minister.

Mr Burnham had announced that the European defence firm MBDA had been given permission to share information on UK components for the long-range Scalp missile, meaning Ukraine could start manufacturing them locally.

The move sparked a furious reaction from the Kremlin, with a senior Putin adviser warning of a more aggressive response and claiming Russia now views the UK as ‘evil number one’.

Russia’s former deputy foreign minister Andrey Fedorov told BBC’s Newsnight that Russia’s response to Mr Burnham’s announcement had been ‘very negative’.

Kyiv residents wait out an air raid and resumption of the metro train service during a Russian drone attack on Monday

The roof of a facility building in flames on Sunday following a Russian airstrike in Kramatorsk, Ukraine

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Asked about the threat, Mr Fedorov said: ‘There’s a very serious political and public pressure on President Putin today, to undertake certain measures against UK, because he is considering UK as part of the war in Ukraine, and assistance from the UK is considered as a direct involvement of UK in this war.’

He warned a new stage of escalation would see a ‘not only verbal but maybe some visible reaction’ from Russia towards the UK.

Explaining what this would look like, Mr Fedorov said: ‘It might be so-called technical reaction, maybe some hackers attack from unknown source – not from official level, of course.

‘There might be different political steps. And I cannot exclude 100 per cent that there might be some semi-military, for example.

He said British factories producing drones for Ukraine could be targeted in such a move by ‘unknown sources’.

Hackers would also target what he described as ‘concrete enterprises’ linked to the production of drones or components for Storm Shadow (the British version of Scalp) missiles.

Mr Fedorov explained that by Mr Burnham handing over blueprints for the manufacturing of missiles in Ukraine, Britain has become ‘much more involved’ in the war.

‘Moscow is considering steps by UK Prime Minister as direct military involvement into this conflict,’ he added.

A firefighting helicopter flies above a burning Wildberries, the Russian version of Amazon, facility following a reported Ukrainian drone strike

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Mr Fedorov’s comments come after Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed on Monday that ‘Britain is participating in this war’ on the side of Ukraine.

‘Britain methodically and regularly pours fuel on the fire and methodically and regularly plots to prevent any progress in the peace process.’

He added Russian armed forces were intent on identifying ‘the production sites of such missiles’ and ‘the production sites of other military equipment’ in order to destroy them.

But Mr Burnham insisted there would be no let-up in the UK’s support for Ukraine against Mr Putin’s aggression, branding Russia’s threats to the UK ‘outrageous’.

‘Who started the fire? That’s the question, isn’t it,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Western intelligence assessments have grown increasingly stark, with US officials worried Moscow could attempt to seize Nato territory within weeks.

Potential scenarios range from a major cyber attack to armed groups occupying territory to an incursion along Nato’s eastern flank.

Moscow has already been accused of waging a shadow war across the continent through sabotage, cyber attacks, drones, disinformation and intimidation – tactics designed to cause disruption while staying below the threshold for a military response.

British spy chief Anne Keast-Butler, director of GCHQ, has warned that the UK and its allies now occupy ‘a space between peace and war’, with Russian activity stretching ‘from the seabed to cyberspace’.

Security experts have told Mr Burnham to be prepared for a ‘direct response’ from Mr Putin following his declaration of Britain’s ‘unwavering’ support for Volodymyr Zelensky’s forces.