Kremlin adviser warns UK drone factories could face attacks

What the report says

A Kremlin adviser has warned that factories in the United Kingdom producing drones for export to Ukraine could face attacks from “unknown sources,” following Britain’s decision to share missile blueprints with Kyiv. The comments, reported by Al Jazeera and published on 25 August 2026, came as UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham was in Ukraine for his first overseas visit since taking office.

Andrei Fedorov, a former deputy foreign minister and Kremlin adviser, told the BBC that he could not rule out what he described as “semi-military” action against Britain. He suggested possible responses could include cyberattacks or other actions directed at companies involved in drone production. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said Moscow sees the UK as taking part in the war because of its missile support.

The dispute centers on Britain’s agreement to declassify blueprints for components linked to the French-designed Scalp missile, the export version of Storm Shadow, which Ukraine can use against fortified targets. Russia has treated Western military assistance as direct involvement in the conflict since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Al Jazeera’s report said the warning matters because it underscores growing tensions over Western support for Ukraine’s long-range strike capability and the risks facing defense-related infrastructure in Europe.