Lavrov threatens Britain with consequences over support for strikes on Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Moscow may consider the UK's participation in Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory as involvement in the war. The statement came after reports that Ukraine used British-made drones for long-range strikes on targets in the Russian Federation.

In a comment to Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin, Lavrov stated that Moscow considers it possible to interpret the declared participation of the British side in such attacks as direct involvement in the war. According to him, this could entail 'corresponding consequences'.

However, Lavrov did not specify which actions Russia is considering as a possible response to the United Kingdom. He also did not provide evidence of direct participation of British military personnel in carrying out Ukrainian strikes.

Earlier, the Russian Embassy in London issued a separate warning to the British government. Moscow stated that further military support for Ukraine allegedly leads to escalation, and threatened London with consequences.

The trigger was publications in the British media that Ukraine used drones produced by two British companies for long-range strikes. Among them, the jet drone Nyan by BAE Systems was mentioned. The British Ministry of Defence has not publicly confirmed or denied the use of specific systems in these attacks.

At the same time, London made it clear that Moscow's threats will not lead to a revision of support for Kyiv. The British Ministry of Defence stated that the government will continue to counter Russian aggression and support Ukraine. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Andy Burnham also stated that the country remains on Ukraine's side '100%'.

During 2026, the United Kingdom significantly increased assistance to Ukrainian defence. In April, the government announced the largest British package of drones for Ukraine, including at least 120,000 units, including thousands of long-range strike drones. In June, London announced a new package worth 752 million pounds, which provides funding for 150,000 Ukrainian-made drones, as well as supplies of air defence missiles and radar systems.

London emphasizes that the weapons transferred to Ukraine are intended for its defence against full-scale Russian aggression. Moscow, for its part, regularly states that supplies of Western weapons make NATO countries participants in the war, but the United Kingdom and other allies of Ukraine reject such an interpretation.

Based on materials from: Pavel Zarubin, The Guardian, UK Government