UK and France authorize Ukraine to produce long-range missiles

The United Kingdom and France have granted permission for Ukraine to proceed with plans to produce long-range SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missiles domestically. This follows a decision by the British government to allow the defense corporation MBDA to share classified data regarding components used in the missiles, paving the way for assembly lines to be established within Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the decision as “positive” and “strong,” noting that the move facilitates the local production of missiles with a range exceeding 250 km. Additionally, Zelensky announced that a roadmap for the FREYJA project—a collaborative European initiative to develop integrated ballistic missile defense systems—is expected within the next 7 to 10 days.

The Kremlin has responded sharply to these developments. Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused the United Kingdom of “adding fuel to the fire” and obstructing peace processes. Peskov warned that Russian forces are actively gathering data to identify and destroy production facilities for such missiles and other military equipment.