Russia's embassy in London accused Britain of a "deliberate bet on escalation of the Ukrainian crisis" and threatened "consequences" following reports that Ukrainian forces use British-made drones for long-range strikes on Russian territory.
"These actions by London will inevitably have consequences for which it will have to answer. The deeper the involvement in the conflict and the greater the support for Kyiv's terrorist machine, the higher the price will be," the diplomatic mission said in a statement. The embassy did not specify what consequences Britain should expect.
Britain's Ministry of Defence said the country stands "shoulder to shoulder" with Ukraine. A ministry representative stressed that Russia should not doubt the government's resolve to counter Russian aggression.
The Sunday Times was the first to report that Ukraine uses British drones for strikes deep inside Russia. According to the newspaper, two types of drones are involved, with ranges of about 240 and 960 kilometers. They were used during the summer campaign of strikes on Russian oil refineries. A military source later confirmed the use to the BBC.
Britain's Ministry of Defence announced plans to supply Ukraine with long-range strike drones back in April, as part of a 500 million pound aid package that reportedly included more than 150,000 drones.