Russia accused the UK of “deliberately choosing to escalate the crisis in Ukraine” following confirmation that British-made drones had been used in attacks on targets in Russia. “By doing so, the United Kingdom acts as an accomplice and co-author of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks,” the Russian embassy in the United Kingdom wrote in a statement. “London’s actions will inevitably have consequences for which it will have to answer,” he said, adding that the deeper its involvement in the conflict, “the greater the price it will pay.” In response, a Ministry of Defense (MoD) spokesperson told BBC News that Britain stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine. “Russia should have no doubt about this Government’s determination to oppose Russian aggression, in Ukraine and against the UK and our allies,” the spokesperson said in a statement. The UK, they added, was “committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s illegal invasion.” Built by two separate British companies, the drones in question have been used inside Russia to widely and successfully attack military and industrial targets, including refineries and warehouses of online retailer Wildberries. Ukraine has repeatedly attacked the company, known as Russia’s version of Amazon, and says seven out of 10 of Wildberries’ largest fulfillment centers have been “disabled.” A military source confirmed to the BBC that UK drones had been used in the attacks, which are said to have caused more Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said drones using UK components and configurations were used to attack Russian territory, including a fuel depot in the Kamensky district of the Rostov region.
