Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on Tuesday that any direct British participation in attacks on Russian territory would be regarded by Moscow as involvement in the war and could carry consequences.
Speaking in an interview with Vesti, Lavrov said Russia reserved the right to respond if its interests or property were targeted.
“If someone were to encroach on our interests, on our property, we would have the same right to regard the proudly declared direct participation of British missile forces in strikes against the Russian Federation as participation in a war, with all the ensuing consequences,” Lavrov said.
His comments followed a report by The Times that Ukrainian forces had used drones manufactured by two British companies to conduct strikes deep inside Russia over the past six months.
According to the report, targets included oil refineries in Volgograd and near Moscow, logistics hubs and transport infrastructure, as well as facilities associated with Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer.
The warning follows similar remarks from the Russian Embassy in London, which on Monday accused Britain of complicity in Ukrainian attacks and said deeper UK involvement in the conflict would come at an increasing cost.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, however, reiterated London’s backing for Kyiv, saying the UK would continue to “support Ukraine 100%.”
Speaking during a visit to Wolverhampton, Burnham said Britain was providing assistance to enable Ukraine to defend itself, adding that successive UK governments had maintained that position throughout the conflict.