Russia says it could hit UK military sites over Kyiv support
Russia has warned it could strike British military facilities in Ukraine and beyond after the UK agreed to share classified Scalp and Storm Shadow missile component blueprints with Kyiv. Moscow said London and Paris were "playing with fire," lifting the stakes of Western military support for Ukraine.
Key Takeaways
- Foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Russia could hit British military sites in Ukraine and elsewhere if British weapons are used in strikes on Russia.
- The warning follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham's move to release blueprints for British Scalp components so Ukraine can produce the missiles with France.
- Former Russian deputy foreign minister Andrei Fedorov separately suggested UK drone factories could face attacks from "unknown sources."
- Burnham has rejected Kremlin criticism and reaffirmed UK support for Kyiv after visiting Ukraine this week.
What did Russia threaten against the UK?
According to The Guardian, citing Russia's state-owned Tass news agency, Zakharova said Moscow would respond to Ukrainian strikes using British weapons by hitting any British military facilities in Ukraine and beyond.
She warned that those in the West making and implementing the decisions were "playing with fire," and that the consequences could be "completely unpredictable, including for themselves." Zakharova said the UK and France bear "direct responsibility" for Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.
She also accused London and Paris of trying to absolve themselves of blame by transferring assembly functions to Ukraine, and included Berlin in a broader claim that Western capitals were "fuelling and stoking the Ukrainian crisis."
Why is Moscow escalating over missile technology?
Earlier this week, Burnham announced that the UK government will release the blueprints for British-made components for the Scalp missile — the French version of the UK's Storm Shadow cruise missile — so Ukraine can work with France to produce its own version.
Zakharova also cited a French Safran deal to supply guidance systems for Ukraine's FP-5 "Flamingo" cruise missile. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had already criticised the blueprint decision on Monday, saying Britain was adding "fuel to the fire" and that Russian forces were gathering data to locate and destroy missile production sites, the BBC reported.
Separately, Andrei Fedorov, a former Russian deputy foreign minister and pro-Kremlin commentator, told BBC Newsnight a "semi-military" response against UK drone factories by "unknown sources" was possible. He said pressure on President Vladimir Putin was coming from public opinion, journalists and mass media.
How has the UK government responded?
Asked about Kremlin claims that Britain was pouring fuel on the conflict, Burnham replied: "Who started the fire? That's the question, isn't it?" His Ukraine visit was his first official international trip as prime minister. He met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and chaired his first "coalition of the willing" meeting.
Burnham has pledged that UK support "will not waver" and said Ukraine's security is Britain's security. He also plans to travel to the United States next month with European leaders to lobby President Donald Trump on Ukraine's defence needs, including air-defence supplies.
For more developing stories in this hub, see Celebrity Breaking News on BlasterPost. The remarks mark a sharper Russian warning against British military sites as Kyiv's Western partners deepen technology transfers.