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Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Andrey Kelin has said that London is interested in intensifying the fighting in Ukraine rather than pursuing peace through the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbas. In an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia, Kelin stated that "London is clearly interested in ramping up the intensity of hostilities," citing recent strikes by British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles on civilian targets in the Bryansk region as a "clear case in point." The ambassador also pointed to drone attacks in the Leningrad Region as evidence of British involvement.

Kelin emphasized that the UK is not considering the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas, regardless of security guarantees, viewing such a scenario as "a gift to Moscow." He noted that despite the potential to end the active phase of the conflict and save lives, Britain appears to reject this path, according to TASS.

Coverage Comparison

All four sources reporting on this story are from TASS, the Russian state news agency, and reflect the official Russian government perspective. The coverage consistently frames the UK's actions as escalatory and detrimental to peace. The first TASS article focuses on Kelin's interview with Izvestia, highlighting his assertion that Britain is interested in intensifying hostilities. A second TASS article quotes Mikhail Sheremet, a member of the State Duma from Crimea, who accuses Britain of long-standing covert activities aimed at destabilizing Russia and inciting Ukrainian elites to confront Moscow. Sheremet asserts that "Britain has never harbored friendly intentions toward Russia" and that the current conflict is "the inevitable outcome of their long-standing subversive efforts."

Another TASS report, dated March 25, quotes Kelin criticizing UK arms deliveries, joint production of drones and long-range missiles, and military training programs in Ukraine. Kelin dismissed UK peace initiatives as "amorphous calls" that are "nothing more than playing to the gallery," and stated that Moscow has received "no signals" of the UK's willingness to engage constructively. A fourth TASS article, from April 17, quotes Kelin commenting on Britain's record supply of 120,000 drones to Ukraine, which he said "will only prolong suffering in Ukraine," confirming "our worst suspicion that European countries and especially [the] UK would like to play a leading role in these efforts to prolongate the conflict, not to stop it."

Key Claims

According to TASS reporting, Kelin has made several claims regarding UK policy in Ukraine:

  • The UK is interested in intensifying hostilities, not in saving lives through a Ukrainian withdrawal from the Donbas (reported by TASS, sourced to Kelin's Izvestia interview).
  • Recent strikes by British Storm Shadow cruise missiles on civilian targets in Bryansk are evidence of British involvement in the conflict (single TASS report, no independent verification provided).
  • The UK is not considering the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbas, regardless of security guarantees, as it would be seen as "a gift to Moscow" (reported by TASS, sourced to Kelin).
  • Britain has supplied a record number of drones to Ukraine, with a package of 120,000 drones announced on April 15 (reported by TASS, citing the British government).
  • The UK is "pumping" Ukraine with weapons to prevent an end to the conflict, and has joint programs for drone and long-range missile production on UK territory (reported by TASS, sourced to Kelin).
  • Drone attacks in the Leningrad Region are a result of British involvement (single TASS report, sourced to Kelin, no independent verification).
In addition, Sheremet claimed that Britain has long engaged in covert activities to destabilize Russia and has incited Ukrainian elites to confront Moscow. These claims are carried by a single TASS article and have not been independently verified by other outlets.

Perspectives

The article presents solely the Russian official perspective, as articulated by Ambassador Kelin and Duma member Sheremet. Kelin's remarks reflect Moscow's long-standing position that Western military support for Ukraine prolongs the conflict and undermines peace efforts. The ambassador expressed skepticism about British-led peace initiatives, calling them "playing to the gallery" and asserting that London "does not want to see settlement." He also echoed earlier statements that the UK has not shown willingness to discuss broader European security issues constructively.

Sheremet's comments go further, characterizing Britain's role as historically adversarial and accusing London of orchestrating "nationalist revanchist schemes" that led to the current confrontation. He warned that Britain risks compelling the "corrupt Kiev regime" to pursue forced mobilization and a "fight to the last Ukrainian."

It is important to note that all sources are from TASS, a state-owned news agency that operates under Russian government editorial control. No independent or Western sources are included in this coverage, and the claims made by Russian officials have not been independently verified. The British government has not responded publicly to these specific allegations within the provided coverage.

As with all reporting on the Ukraine conflict, readers should seek additional sources to gain a balanced understanding of the situation, as the claims presented here represent one side of a highly contested narrative.