Kremlin threatens Ukraine SCALP missile plants

The Kremlin said Russian forces were gathering intelligence to identify and destroy any Ukrainian facilities producing SCALP long-range missiles, after Britain moved to help Kyiv make the weapons domestically.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Britain was preventing peace in Ukraine by giving Kyiv information needed to produce the missiles. He accused Britain of “throwing oil on the fire” and working to prevent progress in the peace process.

“Our armed forces are carrying out work accordingly, gathering the relevant intelligence to identify the production sites of such missiles and other military equipment, and taking measures to destroy these facilities,” Peskov said.

The British government has said it would authorise defence firm MBDA to release information on UK components used in the Franco-British SCALP missile so that Kyiv could produce them domestically.

SCALP is a long-range cruise missile capable of hitting targets around 250 kilometres away. France and Britain have supplied the weapon to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale offensive in 2022, but Kyiv has not yet produced it domestically.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Kyiv on Monday for Ukraine's Independence Day commemorations and pledged to maintain Britain's military support. “Despite Russia's outrageous threats to my country, we will continue our support for Ukraine's defence,” he said.