Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared the UK is continuing to "support Ukraine 100%" after Moscow issued threats of retaliation over the reported deployment of British drones for attacks deep inside Russia.
Russia accused the UK of deliberately escalating the conflict and warned that the deeper the nation's involvement became, "the higher the price it will pay". During a visit to Wolverhampton bus station, Mr Burnham was questioned about his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin in response.
Burnham's response
He said: "This is the UK doing what it has long said it would do, which is to support Ukraine 100% against this illegal war led by Vladimir Putin. We are 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.
"We are not fair-weather friends. We will be there in Ukraine's hour of need, and that won't change."
Drone strikes reported
Ukraine deployed drones manufactured by two UK companies as part of a so-called deep strike campaign, the Sunday Times reported. Kyiv has intensified its assaults on Russia this year, with long-range missiles and swarms of drones increasingly hitting military industries and energy infrastructure.
It has also struck massive warehouses for Wildberries – Russia's biggest online retailer – destroying billions of pounds worth of goods and bringing the war home to the Russian public more than four years into Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia's warning
Russia's embassy to the UK declared in a statement on Monday that the reports "confirm that London is deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis" and branded Britain as "seeking to contain Russia and inflict maximum damage on it by proxy. London's actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer," it added. "The deeper its involvement in the conflict and the greater its support for Kyiv's terrorist machinery, the higher the price it will pay."
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "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. 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."
