Russia has warned the UK that it will face consequences for supplying Ukraine with British-made drones used in recent strikes on military and industrial targets in Russia. The Russian embassy to the UK accused Britain of escalating the Ukraine crisis, stating that the deeper its involvement, the higher the price it will pay. According to a spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defence, the UK is committed to providing equipment to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia's invasion. A military source confirmed that UK drones have been used in recent attacks on Russia, causing more than £35bn in economic damage.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Russia has been warning Britain that it will face consequences for supplying drones to Ukraine, which have been used to attack targets on Russian territory. In response to reports of British-made drones being used in strikes against Russia, the Russian embassy in London said "London's actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer". The UK has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, committing around 25 billion pounds ($47 billion) in support, including 16 billion pounds in military aid.
The use of British-made drones against Russia is believed to be the first time they have been used for long-range strikes against Russian territory. Ukraine has been using these drones to hit oil refineries and logistics facilities, causing significant economic damage, with reports suggesting that the attacks have caused over £35bn in economic damage.
The UK's Ministry of Defence did not confirm whether British drones had been used, but a spokesperson said that "Britain stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and we are committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against Putin's illegal invasion."
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, at least five people have been killed and more than 10 injured in the latest wave of Russian strikes, officials have said. The attacks caused fires across the capital, Kyiv, including at a book market. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of targeting civilian infrastructure.
Separately, a Russian missile attack killed 10 people on Tuesday in a village in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian authorities said. The attack damaged 10 private buildings, a cafe, a post office, a store and at least seven cars.
Written for “Russia-Ukraine Conflict Escalates” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 26 other(s) covering the same event.
- Published
Russia has warned the UK of "consequences" following confirmation that British-made drones were used in recent strikes on military and industrial targets in Russia.
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drones → publish → Russia
In a statement, the Russian embassy to the UK accused Britain of "deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis", adding that "the deeper its involvement in the conflict... the higher the price it will pay".
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it → accuse → price
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Moscow and elsewhere deep inside Russia, particularly targeting oil refineries and logistics sites for its key online retailer Wildberries.
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Ukraine → step → retailer
A spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said they stood "shoulder to shoulder" with Ukraine.
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they → say → Ukraine
"Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this government to stand against Russian aggression, in Ukraine and against the UK and our allies," the spokesperson said.
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spokesperson → stand → UK
Russia has threatened the UK in the past over its role in providing Ukraine with drone technology, as well as Storm Shadow missiles.
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Russia → threaten → technology
The Russian embassy said "London's actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer", but did not elaborate on the type of threat Moscow was considering.
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Moscow → say → threat
The latest phase of the war has directly affected Russia's domestic fuel supplies and dented the Russian economy.
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phase → affect → economy
The UK has been among Ukraine's biggest international supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
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Russia → launch → February
The MoD said the UK was "committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's illegal invasion".
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Ukraine → say → invasion
Russia currently controls approximately a fifth of Ukrainian territory.
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Russia → control → territory
Ukraine has also been able to use home-grown drone and missile technology in recent weeks, including its FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile.
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Ukraine → use → missile
Hundreds of drones have been launched by Ukrainian forces towards the Moscow region in the past two days alone.
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Hundreds → launch → days
Regional governor Andrey Vorobyov said on Tuesday that a 10-year-old girl was hurt and a Wildberries warehouse was damaged.
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warehouse → say → Tuesday
Meanwhile, 17 people were killed by Russian attacks on Ukraine, including 10 in a village in north-eastern Ukraine.
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people → kill → Ukraine
Two British companies are known to have built drones supplied to Kyiv.
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companies → know → Kyiv
A military source confirmed to the BBC that UK drones had been used in recent attacks on Russia, which are said to have caused more than £35bn in economic damage.
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which → confirm → damage
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in 2024 that drones using UK components and configurations were used to attack Russian territory, including a fuel depot in the Kamensky district of the Rostov region.
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drones → say → region
Moscow's warning to the UK comes after a wave of Ukrainian strikes on Russia.
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warning → come → Russia
In the latest attacks overnight, Russian officials said some 620 drones had been flown towards the region surrounding Moscow.
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drones → say → Moscow
Russian air defences destroyed more than 180 of the drones but several people were wounded, officials said.
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officials → destroy → drones
In a statement, Wildberries said a logistics complex had "sustained minor damage" in the attack.
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complex → say → attack
The overnight strikes inside Russia came amid a barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine.
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strikes → come → Ukraine
In the deadliest attack, on Pechenihy in north-eastern Ukraine, private homes, a cafe and post office were hit, as two missiles claimed the lives of 10 villagers.
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missiles → hit → villagers
Elsewhere, three Ukrainians died in Sumy, two in Zaporizhzhia, two in Kherson.
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Ukrainians → die → Kherson
Five people were wounded in Izium close to the front line in the east and Kyiv came under five waves of attack overnight.
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Kyiv → wound → attack
On Saturday night, Ukraine fired some 822 drones towards Russia, with 600 aiming for Moscow, according to its regional governor, who said the Russian capital had suffered "one of the most massive drone attacks in recent memory".
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capital → fire → memory
Seven deaths were reported across Russia.
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deaths → report → Russia
On the same night, Russian attacks on Ukraine killed at least seven people and injured more than 39.
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attacks → kill → 39
In April, the MoD announced it would supply Ukraine tens of thousands of drones, including long-range strike devices, in its biggest ever package.
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it → announce → package
