UK drone factories may face attacks from 'unknown sources', says Kremlin adviser

What the report says

A Kremlin adviser has warned on BBC Newsnight that UK factories making drones for Ukraine could face a “semi-military” response from “unknown sources” after London agreed to share blueprints for British-made missile components. The remarks were made by Andrei Fedorov, who said pressure was building on Moscow to respond to the UK’s support for Kyiv. BBC World News reported the comments alongside wider tensions over new Western military assistance for Ukraine.

The issue centres on the UK’s decision to hand over designs for components used in the Scalp missile, the French variant of the Storm Shadow cruise missile. According to the BBC’s report, the aim is to help Ukraine manufacture the long-range weapon domestically. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also criticised the move, saying it would block progress toward peace and claiming Russian forces were gathering information on possible missile production sites.

The BBC said the exchange came as UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Ukraine, met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and chaired a meeting of the UK- and France-backed “coalition of the willing.” Burnham has been reaffirming support for Ukraine as Russian strikes intensify. More broadly, the report reflects the continuing dispute between London and Moscow over military aid to Kyiv and the risks of escalation around defence production.