The warning was issued by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova during a press briefing in Moscow on Thursday. It marked one of Russia’s strongest warnings directed at Britain over its involvement in supporting Ukraine since the war began.
Zakharova accused London of moving closer to what Moscow describes as direct involvement in attacks against Russian civilians and warned that continued support for Ukraine’s use of British weapons could have “serious consequences.”
“We have repeatedly warned that British military facilities and equipment in Ukraine or outside its borders could be targeted if Ukraine continues carrying out attacks on Russian territory using British weapons,” she said.
Russia’s warning came a day after Moscow accused Ukraine of using British-made Storm Shadow missiles in an attack on a commercial building in Donetsk, a city controlled by Russian forces.
Russian authorities said civilians, including children, were injured in the attack. The claims could not immediately be independently verified.
The Kremlin had earlier accused Britain of escalating the conflict after London announced plans to provide Ukraine with the technology needed to manufacture Storm Shadow missiles domestically.
The proposed cooperation would allow Ukraine to strengthen its domestic defence industry and potentially reduce its dependence on direct deliveries of long-range weapons from its Western allies.
Britain has been one of Ukraine’s strongest military supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, supplying Kyiv with weapons, military equipment and training.
However, Moscow has repeatedly warned Western countries against allowing Ukraine to use weapons supplied by NATO members to strike targets inside Russia, arguing that such actions could lead to a wider escalation of the conflict.
