Moscow threat of ‘consequences’ will not alter UK support for Ukraine, says Burnham
Prime minister responds to Russian anger over Kyiv’s use of British-made drones in ‘deep strike’ campaign
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Andy Burnham says the UK will continue to “support Ukraine 100%” after Russia threatened consequences after strikes by British-made drones
The Russian embassy to the UK said on Monday that Britain had been deliberately escalating the Ukraine conflict and the deeper its involvement, “the higher the price it will pay”
Burnham, asked during a visit to Wolverhampton on Tuesday for his response to Moscow’s threat, 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.”
The use of the drones made by UK companies is part of Ukraine’s “deep strike” campaign. However, it is not the first time Ukraine has deployed British-made equipment in Russia, having long used Storm Shadow missiles
Kyiv has stepped up its attacks this year, with long-range missiles and swarms of drones increasingly targeting Russia’s military industries and energy facilities
It has also hit large depots of Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, burning merchandise worth billions of pounds and bringing the war home to the Russian public more than four years into Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Russia’s embassy to the UK said on Monday that the reports confirmed that “London is deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis”, accusing Britain of “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 said. “The deeper its involvement in the conflict and the greater its support for Kyiv’s terrorist machinery, the higher the price it will pay.”
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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.”
Ukraine’s strategy of long-range drone strikes is thought to be intended to cut Moscow’s revenue for the war and to make Russian civilians feel the impact of the invasion
Kyiv launched three times as many such strikes in July as it did in January, according to data from Acled, an independent conflict monitor
Repeatedly hitting deep into Russia has forced Moscow to stretch its air defences over a larger area. Russia’s defence ministry said on Saturday it had shot down 598 Ukrainian drones over 19 Russian regions as well as the Black Sea, the Azov Sea and the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea
Officials said on Monday that Ukrainian long-range attacks on Russia killed seven people overnight, while five civilians died in Ukraine after strikes by Moscow’s forces
Russian missile attacks on Tuesday killed 10 people and injured eight in a village in Ukraine’s north-eastern Kharkiv oblast, the regional governor said
The strike on the village of Pechenihy damaged 10 private buildings, a cafe, a post office, a shop and at least seven cars, Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram
A rapid development of largely homegrown technologies, including the Flamingo cruise missile and the FP-1 long-range fixed-wing drone from Fire Point, have allowed Ukraine to bomb warehouses, oil refineries, ports and military facilities up to 1,500 miles (2,400km) from its border
Ukraine can now almost match the deep-strike capability Russia has had since the beginning of the war using large drones and cruise missiles, though it does not possess the high-speed ballistic missiles Moscow frequently uses
At the same time, both sides’ air defences are stretched to the point of near exhaustion, leading to an increase in civilian casualties and worries that the impact of the conflict beyond the immediate frontlines will only increase into the winter
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