Russian ex-minister warns of 'semi-military' attacks on UK drone factories

A former Russian deputy foreign minister has warned that British drone factories may face attacks from "unknown sources" in a "semi-military" response to the UK's decision to share blueprints for cruise missile components with Ukraine. Andrei Fedorov, a pro-Kremlin commentator, made the remarks on BBC Newsnight as Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced plans to travel to the United States next month with European leaders to lobby President Donald Trump on Ukraine's defence needs.

Fedorov said President Vladimir Putin was facing "serious" pressure "to undertake certain measures against UK", pressure he attributed to "public opinion polls, it's coming from journalists, from mass media". Asked what a "semi-military" response might entail, he replied: "It could take the form of something might happen with enterprises, with factories which are producing drones for Ukraine. They could be attacked not by Russia, but by from unknown sources."

The comments echoed those of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who on Monday criticised the UK's decision to hand over blueprints for British-made components for the Scalp missile, a French version of the Storm Shadow cruise missile. The blueprints will allow Ukraine to produce the long-range weapon domestically. Peskov said the move prevented "even the slightest progress" towards achieving peace, adding that the Russian military was already gathering data to locate any missile production sites to destroy them. "Britain is involved in this war on the side of the Kyiv regime. Britain methodically and regularly adds fuel to the fire," he said.

In response, Burnham said: "Who started the fire? That's the question, isn't it?" The Prime Minister's visit to Ukraine on Monday, his first official international trip since taking office, saw him meet President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and chair his first meeting of the "coalition of the willing", a grouping set up by the UK and France under his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer. Burnham has been reaffirming British support for Ukraine in the wake of escalating Russian strikes in recent weeks, including an attack on a shopping centre last week that killed at least 16 people.

Ukraine has been relying on American supplies of Patriot interceptor missiles to combat Russia's ballistic missiles, but stockpiles are running low due to the war in Iran, leaving the country vulnerable to attacks. Zelensky has said he hopes to secure 300 patriot missiles ahead of winter, when Russia is likely to increase its strikes on energy infrastructure, as it has done in previous years. In an interview with Bloomberg, Burnham said he felt "really confident" that the issue was "fixable", but pointed out that it was not only the United States that could supply Ukraine with Patriots. "There are other players who could help in the mix who we have influence with," he said. "It's probably going to be a solution that involves a lot of layers and a lot of negotiation."

The Prime Minister's trip to the US next month, should it go ahead, would be his first since becoming prime minister. "Leaving today, I'm quite clear what I need to do in the next few weeks," he said following his visit to Ukraine, during which he promised to continue pressuring Russia. In July this year, three weeks after offering Ukraine the right to produce Patriots itself, President Trump backtracked, saying: "We have not agreed to that. We're talking about it. But it's a hard thing to give away, that kind of technology. These weapons are incredible. We have to be very careful about letting somebody build them."

In a joint statement after the meeting in Ukraine, Burnham and co-chairs President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany said the group would aim to strengthen Kyiv's air defences "as a matter of urgent priority". They also condemned Moscow's "systemic and escalating strikes against Ukraine's cities, critical infrastructure and civilians" and pledged to "constrain Russia's war chest through sanctions and actions against the shadow fleet". In a statement ahead of the visit, Burnham said: "On Ukraine's 35th anniversary of independence, the Ukrainian people should be in no doubt: the UK is behind you today and for as long as it takes. I am proud of the contribution our country has made to Ukraine and I want the Ukrainian people to hear it directly from me that our support will not waver. After all, Ukraine's security is our security." He added that the friendship Ukraine shared with the UK would "long outlast Russia's illegal war", and that "Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve. We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace."