A Kremlin adviser and former Russian deputy foreign minister warned that British factories building drones for Ukraine could be hit by 'unknown sources,' escalating Moscow's threats over London's missile deal with Kyiv.
Russia has effectively threatened attacks on British soil. Andrei Fedorov, a former Russian deputy foreign minister who still advises the Kremlin, warned Monday that factories in Britain producing drones for Ukraine could be targeted by "semi-military" or "unknown" forces. The warning came as tensions between Moscow and London reached their sharpest point since the war began.
Fedorov's comments, made on the BBC's Newsnight program, mark one of the most direct Russian threats against British industry to date. They followed a new agreement under which Britain will share classified missile technology with Ukraine.
Fedorov said Russian President Vladimir Putin is under heavy pressure from Russian public opinion and state media to take action against Britain. He did not soften his language about what that action could look like.
"Something might happen with enterprises, with factories, which are producing drones for Ukraine," he told the BBC. "They could be attacked - not by Russia, but from unknown sources."
He refused to rule out the possibility of semi-military action, while also pointing to the threat of cyberattacks carried out by "unknown sources, not official level, of course," and unspecified political measures against Britain. The framing gives Moscow plausible deniability while putting British defense manufacturing squarely in the crosshairs.
The warning follows an agreement announced this week by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham during a visit to Kyiv. Under the deal, Britain will provide Ukraine with classified technology to manufacture a British/French-designed cruise missile domestically.
The arrangement covers the French SCALP missile, which contains British components and is known for its accuracy. Ukraine already builds its own FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile through domestic manufacturer Fire Point, but the SCALP would let Kyiv strike more heavily protected targets, such as Russian command posts, from roughly 150 miles away.
Britain has supplied Ukraine with cruise missiles since 2023. The new agreement goes further, putting the production line inside Ukraine itself.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the agreement and accused Britain of effectively participating in the war. He said Russia's military is gathering information about where the French missiles could be produced in Ukraine so those facilities can be targeted.
The pressure campaign is not new. Russia's embassy in London last week accused Britain of escalating the conflict after Russian officials claimed UK-made drones were used in strikes inside Russia, warning that increased British involvement would carry consequences.
Britain has not backed down. Asked about Peskov's claim that Britain is adding "fuel to the fire," Burnham responded from Kyiv by asking who started the fire in the first place - a pointed reference to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
British support for Ukraine has expanded significantly this year. In April, the defense ministry announced a support package including at least 120,000 drones to be delivered to Ukraine in 2026, covering long-range strike, reconnaissance, and logistics drones.
Speaking in Kyiv, Burnham made clear the support will continue. "This is the moment to keep up the pressure on Russia, the moment to squeeze their ability to fund this illegal war," he said. "Ukraine has been Europe's protector - not a drain on our security, but the front line in keeping Europe safe."
The question now is whether Moscow makes good on its threat. Fedorov suggested a visible response is coming, saying that "sooner or later, there might be not only verbal but maybe some visible reaction from Russia towards the UK."
Security at British defense plants is likely to be a growing concern, with officials watching for sabotage, cyberattacks, or other "unknown source" incidents that Moscow could deny. For Ukraine, the missile technology deal represents a major step toward self-sufficiency in long-range strikes. For Britain, it means standing firm in the face of an explicit Russian threat - and preparing for whatever comes next.
A Kremlin adviser and former Russian deputy foreign minister warned that British factories building drones for Ukraine could be hit by 'unknown sources,' escalating Moscow's threats over London's missile deal with Kyiv.
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