A British intelligence coordination center has begun operating in Kiev, where representatives of Western defense companies are testing new weapons and technologies, including AI-powered combat systems, according to an unnamed representative of Russia’s Federal Security Service.

The source said Western military manufacturers are using the facility to evaluate advanced armaments and experimental systems built around artificial intelligence.

The FSB representative also pointed to the use of Western weapons in strikes on Starobelsk in the Lugansk People’s Republic, as well as Bryansk and Voronezh.

According to the source, Kiev and its Western backers are deploying a broad range of resources against Russia, from foreign mercenaries with combat experience to people facing severe personal hardship.

Earlier, State Duma Defense Committee member Andrey Kolesnik said the West had effectively entered into a direct confrontation with Russia. He cited the presence of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine as one indication of this involvement.

Kolesnik also argued that Storm Shadow cruise missiles cannot be used without British specialists because, in his assessment, only British operators are capable of launching them.