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

A Russian former deputy foreign minister has said there might be a "semi-military" response against UK drone factories by "unknown sources" over the sharing of blueprints for British-made cruise missile components .

Andrei Fedorov's comments on BBC Newsnight come as UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced plans to travel to the US next month with European leaders to lobby President Donald Trump on Ukraine's defence needs.

Burnham's trip, should it go ahead, would be his first to the US since becoming prime minister.

"Leaving today, I'm quite clear what I need to do in the next few weeks," he said following his visit to Ukraine on Monday, during which he promised to continue pressuring Russia.

The UK has agreed to hand over blueprints for British-made components for the Scalp missile , a French version of the UK's Storm Shadow cruise missile. The blueprints will allow Ukraine to produce the long-range weapon domestically.

Fedorov, a pro-Kremlin commentator who frequently appears on Russian television, said Putin was facing "serious" pressure "to undertake certain measures against UK". Asked on BBC Newsnight where the pressure was coming from, Fedorov responded "public opinion polls, it's coming from journalists, from mass media".

Asked what a "semi-military" response might look like, Fedorov said: "It could take the form of something might happen with enterprises, with factories which are producing drones for Ukraine.

"They could be attacked not by Russia, but by from unknown sources."