MOSCOW, April 15 (Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry warned on Wednesday that European plans to step up drone supplies to Ukraine are dragging those countries deeper into a war with Russia. The
Russia Warns European Drone Plans for Ukraine Escalate Regional Conflict
Russian Response to European Drone Support for Ukraine
MOSCOW, April 15 (Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry warned on Wednesday that European plans to step up drone supplies to Ukraine are dragging those countries deeper into a war with Russia.
Escalation of Conflict Through Increased Drone Production
The ministry said it believes governments in a number of EU countries have decided to increase the production and supply of drones to Ukraine, a move Moscow views as a step that is escalating the conflict.
List of European Drone Manufacturers Published
It published a list of factories and enterprises in several European countries it alleges manufacture drones or drone components, and gave their addresses, including sites in Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, Israel and Poland, among others.
Security Concerns for the European Public
"The European public should not only have a clear understanding of the true causes of the threats to their security, but also be aware of the addresses and locations of Ukrainian and joint enterprises producing UAVs and components for Ukraine within their own countries," it said.
Medvedev’s Warning and Potential Consequences
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chair of Russia's Security Council, said in a subsequent post on X that the list published by the military amounted to a list of potential targets for Russia's armed forces.
"When strikes become a reality depends on what comes next. Sleep well, European partners!" he said.
Previous Russian Statements on European Involvement
Russian officials, including Medvedev, have repeatedly made public statements that have been perceived as threats to European countries over their support for Ukraine. However, these have generally taken the form of warnings and veiled hints rather than outright announcements of imminent strikes.
(Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; Writing by Anna Peverieri; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
