Kremlin Adviser Signals Potential Strikes on UK Drone Facilities Amid Missile Blueprint Sharing

Moscow characterizes Britain’s transfer of long-range missile schematics to Kyiv as direct military participation in the conflict.

Published On 25 Aug 202625 Aug 2026

Factories in the United Kingdom producing drones for export to Ukraine could become targets for “unknown sources,” a Kremlin adviser warned Tuesday, following Britain’s agreement to share long-range missile blueprints with Kyiv.

Andrei Fedorov, an adviser to the Kremlin and former deputy foreign minister, told the BBC that he could not “exclude 100 percent” the possibility of “semi-military” action against Britain. His remarks came as UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Ukraine.

During Burnham’s first overseas trip to Kyiv on Monday, the UK agreed to provide Ukraine with blueprints to manufacture French-British designed long-range missile drones. Moscow views this transfer as evidence of the UK’s “direct military involvement” in the war, according to Fedorov.

Fedorov stated that “sooner or later, there might be not only verbal but maybe some visible reaction from Russia towards the UK.”

Pressed for details, he outlined potential responses: “There are different discussions how it should look like – it might be so-called technical reaction, maybe some hackers attack from unknown source, not from official level, of course.” He added: “There might be different political steps, and I cannot exclude 100 percent that there might be some semi-military.”

“For example, something might happen with enterprises, with the factories which are producing drones for Ukraine, etc.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed the sentiment Monday, telling reporters that the UK is “participating in this war” through its missile support and “adding fuel to the fire.”

In Kyiv, Burnham countered by asking reporters who ignited the conflict initially. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The UK has agreed to declassify blueprints for British-made components of the Scalp missile—the French-produced variant of the Storm Shadow—which has already struck targets inside Russia. Unlike Ukraine’s existing arsenal, the Scalp can penetrate heavily fortified targets such as bunkers and has a range of approximately 240km (149 miles).

Ukraine has significantly ramped up domestic production of cost-effective drones over the past year, targeting an expanding array of economic and military sites within Russia.

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