Kremlin issues stark warning to Britain: "We cannot rule out attacks"

Andrei Fedorov, a former Russian deputy foreign minister, said he could not “100% rule out” the possibility of “semi-military” operations targeting Britain, speaking during Andy Burnham’s trip to Kyiv.

The visit marked the prime minister’s first overseas trip since taking office. While in the Ukrainian capital, the United Kingdom reaffirmed its “unwavering” commitment to Ukraine, which in turn provided what officials described as a “gold mine” of combat data to strengthen British security.

During talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Burnham assured him that there would be “no change in the unwavering support” Britain provides to the country.

Fedorov told BBC Newsnight that “sooner or later there could be not only a verbal, but perhaps also some visible reaction from Russia toward the United Kingdom.”

“There are various discussions about what this should look like — it could be a so-called technical response, perhaps a cyberattack from an unknown source, of course not at an official level. There could also be various political steps, and I cannot 100% rule out that there could be some semi-military action, for example. For instance, something could happen to companies, to factories producing drones for Ukraine, etc. They could be attacked, not by Russia, but… from unknown sources,” he said.

Britain agrees to share plans for long-range missiles

The United Kingdom has agreed to declassify plans for British-made components of the “SCALP” missile, the French version of the “Storm Shadow” missile, which has already been used to strike targets in Russia.

UrbanImages / Alamy / Profimedia

The decision drew strong condemnation from Russia, with Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying it would “add fuel to the fire” of the conflict.

During his visit, the British prime minister urged Ukraine’s allies to send more interceptor missiles to Kyiv as the country struggles with continued Russian bombardment. Zelensky has repeatedly called in recent months for more U.S.-made Patriot interceptor missiles, as Ukraine’s stocks have dwindled. Patriot supplies have been diverted to the Middle East since the outbreak of the war with Iran, leaving Ukraine with significantly fewer missiles this year than in previous years.

Russia has sought to exploit the shortage by stepping up its ballistic missile strikes, killing at least 23 people and injuring more than 100 in the past three days alone, according to reports.

Downing Street said that during bilateral talks with Zelensky, Burnham stressed the “strength of unity” among the countries that make up the coalition of the willing.

“It was an honest and productive conversation during the Coalition of the Willing, the leaders agreed, and it was clear that the international community needed to step up and ensure Ukraine received the support it needs to defend itself against Russia’s barbaric attacks going into the winter. The Prime Minister emphasised the strength of unity among coalition members and reiterated that there would be no change in the UK’s steadfast support. This was further symbolised by the announcement that the UK had agreed that defence company MBDA could release classified information on UK components for the long-range SCALP missile,” Downing Street said.

Downing Street also said that Burnham and Zelensky signed an agreement giving the Ministry of Defence, working with selected British companies, access to Ukraine’s “Avengers” AI database.

Ukrainian Presidency / Sipa Press / Profimedia

The agreement is expected to help Britain draw on Ukraine’s battlefield experience and develop AI-powered solutions to national security challenges in both countries.