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Russia’s Spy Network Turns Toward UK Companies Building Weapons for Ukraine
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Executives at British defense companies supplying weapons and drones to Ukraine have been warned that they face an elevated threat from Russian espionage and other hostile intelligence activity, the Daily Mail reported on August 30.
British officials delivered the warning during a closed-door meeting with senior defense industry executives earlier this summer, according to the report.
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The gathering included high-ranking UK government officials and representatives of companies involved in supplying military equipment to Ukraine. The full list of attendees has not been made public.
Companies involved in drones and long-range strike weapons are believed to be among those of particular interest to Russian intelligence services because of their direct role in strengthening Ukraine’s ability to attack Russian military targets.
One potentially sensitive company is Ukrspecsystems, a British-Ukrainian defense manufacturer producing unmanned aircraft for Ukraine. Its UK facility is located near RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, a major airbase used by the US Air Force.
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Another company named as a potential target is Callen-Lenz, a BAE Systems subsidiary specializing in unmanned aviation systems. The company supplies drone technology to Ukraine, and its products have reportedly been connected to Ukrainian operations against Russian oil infrastructure deep inside Russia.
MBDA could also attract particular Russian intelligence attention. The European missile manufacturer produces the Storm Shadow cruise missile, one of Ukraine’s most important Western-supplied long-range weapons and a system Kyiv has repeatedly used against Russian military facilities far behind the front.
The warning comes as Britain increases security around its defense industry amid a broader campaign of suspected Russian hybrid activity across Europe.
According to Militarnyi, Moscow is increasingly using so-called gray-zone methods against the UK, including espionage, sabotage, cyberattacks, information operations and the use of proxies to conduct activities that stop short of conventional military confrontation.
Former British military attache to Moscow and Kyiv @John_ForemanCBE responds to Russian threats towards the UK:
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) August 28, 2026
"Russia's been threatening Britain with consequences since 2022 and before.
I think any anger which the Kremlin is feeling is because of its own mad decisions to… https://t.co/FZFaANMEhA pic.twitter.com/wQzylYkawQ
British authorities have also warned that Russian intelligence activity has intensified significantly since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
MI5 has reported a 48% increase in state-threat investigations over a one-year period, with Russia remaining one of the principal concerns for British security agencies.
The UK government says Russian intelligence services have increasingly combined traditional espionage with cyber operations, sabotage, surveillance and attempts to interfere with Western support for Ukraine.
Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, plays a particularly prominent role in those operations.
British authorities have formally linked GRU units 29155, 26165 and 74455 to activities ranging from cyber espionage and destructive hacking to sabotage and information operations.
Unit 29155 has been associated with sabotage and other covert operations, while Unit 26165 is known for sophisticated intelligence-gathering and cyber campaigns. Unit 74455, widely known as Sandworm, specializes in destructive cyber operations against infrastructure and strategic targets.
The UK has sanctioned all three units along with dozens of Russian military intelligence officers.
Earlier, Russia threatened the United Kingdom with “consequences” following reports that Ukrainian forces are using British-made jet-powered drones to strike targets inside Russian territory.
The Russian Embassy in the UK issued the warning in a statement, claiming the reported use of British drones demonstrated what it described as London’s deliberate decision to escalate the war in Ukraine.
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