‘We Won’t Be Bullied’: U.K. Responds to Russian Threat Over Ukraine Drone Support

Locals view a burned-out warehouse belonging to online retailer giant Wildberries following a Ukrainian drone strike on the facility in Podolsk, Russia, on Aug.

17, 2026. —Contributor—Getty Images The British government has responded after the Russian Embassy told London that it “will pay” for supplying drones to Ukraine.

The U.K. drones were reportedly used in mainland strikes this week, for the first time since the full-scale Russia-Ukraine conflict began in 2022.

“We've stood with Ukraine throughout this time with the Russian illegal invasion.

We will continue to do so, and we won't be bullied in this way,” said Lilian Greenwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions, on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham also issued a response.

“This is the U.K. doing what it has long said it would do, which is to support Ukraine 100% against this illegal war led by Vladimir Putin,” he said Tuesday, regarding the supply of drones to Kyiv.

“We are not fair-weather friends.

We will be there in Ukraine's hour of need, and that won't change,” Burnham continued.

The Russian Embassy to the United Kingdom accused the British government of “deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis, while hypocritically professing a desire for peace” in a post on Telegram, following reports that drones manufactured in the U.K. were used against Russia.

“London’s actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer,” said the Russian Embassy on Monday.

“The deeper its involvement in the conflict, and the greater its support for Kyiv’s terrorist machinery, the higher the price it will pay.” Read More: Ukraine Launches One of the War’s Largest Drone Attacks, Killing 6 The Times reported Saturday that drones made by two British companies had been used as part of Ukraine’s recent aerial assaults deep within Russia’s mainland for the first time, citing Ukrainian and British defense sources.

A spokesperson for the U.K.

Ministry of Defence told TIME on Tuesday: “Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this government to stand against Russian aggression, in Ukraine and against the U.K. and our allies,” and that it “stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.” In April, the defense ministry announced the delivery of 120,000 drones to Kyiv as part of the “biggest ever drone package for Ukraine.” Then, in June, it committed 150,000 additional drones—along with 350 air missiles—to Ukraine by the end of 2026.