Key facts
- Ukraine has used British drones for deep strikes inside Russia for the past six months.
- The BAE Systems Nyan drone is one of the British weapons employed.
- Targets have included oil refineries and warehouses.
- Ukraine has also used domestically produced Flamingo missiles.
- Russia may increase hybrid warfare against the U.K. in response.
Ukraine has begun employing British-made drones for deep strikes against targets within Russia over the last six months, according to a report by The Times citing Ukrainian Armed Forces sources. The BAE Systems Nyan jet-powered drone and another unspecified British-manufactured drone have been used in these missions. While most deep-strike operations are conducted with Ukrainian drones, the British weapons have also proven successful, a senior Ukrainian military source told the outlet. Targets hit by these drones reportedly include oil refineries and warehouses of online retailer Wildberries. The strikes are said to have caused more than £35bn in economic damage. The UK's Ministry of Defence announced in April it would supply Ukraine tens of thousands of drones, including long-range strike devices. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on August 15 that Ukrainian forces used domestically produced Flamingo missiles to strike Russia's Savasleyka military airbase and a Roscosmos facility in Samara Oblast. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has previously stated that drones using UK components have attacked Russian territory. In response to Ukraine's use of British drones, unnamed sources suggested to The Times that Russia might increase its hybrid warfare activities against the United Kingdom.