Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the UK will continue “to support Ukraine 100%”, after Moscow warned of “consequences” following confirmation that British-made drones were used in recent Ukrainian strikes in Russia.
“We are not fair-weather friends, we will be there in Ukraine’s hour of need and that won’t change,” said Burnham.
The Russian embassy to the UK earlier 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”.
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.
Asked about the Russian threat, the prime minister maintained the UK was “providing support so that Ukraine can defend itself and that’s been the British position all the way through this conflict, by previous prime ministers – it remains the case with me”.
Russia has warned the UK in the past over its role in providing Ukraine with drone technology, as well as Storm Shadow missiles. 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.
The latest phase of the war has directly affected Russia’s domestic fuel supplies and dented the Russian economy.
The UK has been among Ukraine’s biggest international supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the UK was “committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s illegal invasion”.
Russia currently controls approximately a fifth of Ukrainian territory but its forces have had very little success on the front line for months.
Nevertheless, casualties have continued to mount behind the front lines. United Nations officials say last month’s civilian death toll of 437 people in Ukraine was the highest since May 2022.
