Russia's UK ambassador has accused Britain of involvement in Ukraine's devastating drone attacks that destroyed more than 40 Russian warplanes, warning the strikes risk escalating the conflict to "World War III."

In an interview with Sky News, Andrei Kelin said Ukraine's actions "are bringing the conflict to a different level of escalation" and warned Kyiv should "not try to engulf World War III".

"That's the very worst case scenario that we can imagine," he told Sky News.

The ambassador's accusations come after more than 100 Ukrainian drones were deployed inside Russia over the weekend in attacks that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said "will undoubtedly be in history books".

Andrei Kelin - the Russian ambassador to the UK

A firefighter works at the site of a Russian drone attack, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine in Kyiv

Kelin pointed the finger directly at the UK when discussing the sophisticated nature of the attacks.

"[This] kind of attack involves, of course, provision of very high technology, so-called geospaced data, which only can be done by those who have it in possession. And this is London and Washington," he said.

The Russian ambassador was explicit about Britain's alleged involvement. "We perfectly know how much London is involved, how deeply British forces are involved in working together with Ukraine," Kelin stated.

However, he expressed doubts about American participation, noting: "I don't believe that America [is involved], that has been denied by President Trump, definitely, but it has not been denied by London."

A satellite image shows destroyed aircrafts in the aftermath of a drone strike at the Olenya air base, Murmansk region

The drone strikes, dubbed operation "Spiderweb" by Ukrainian authorities, destroyed 34 per cent of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers, causing an estimated £5.2billion in damages according to Ukrainian sources.

US President Donald Trump revealed he discussed the attacks with Vladimir Putin during a phone call lasting over an hour.

"President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.

Trump described it as "a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace".

Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Ryabkov

Kelin echoed this sentiment, telling Sky News: "It is up to the Ministry of Defence to make a right solution, but we have to respond to it."

It comes as the Kremlin sees little chance of saving its last nuclear accord with the United States, due to expire in eight months, given the "ruined" state of relations with Washington.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also told TASS news agency that President Donald Trump's proposed Golden Dome missile defence project was a "deeply destabilising" factor creating formidable new obstacles to arms control.