An MP has called on the government to be "as transparent as they can be" about protection for drone factories in the UK. It comes after Russian former deputy foreign minister Andrei Fedorov told BBC Newsnight there might be a "semi-military" response against UK drone factories by "unknown sources" after the UK government shared blueprints for cruise missile components with Ukraine. West Suffolk Conservative MP Nick Timothy represents Mildenhall which is home to a new Ukrainian-owned factory, which can make 1,000 drones a month.
The Ministry for Defence (MoD) said it would not comment on specific security procedures. Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Ukraine on Monday, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. The British government agreed to hand over blueprints for UK-made components for the Scalp missile, which is a French version of the UK's Storm Shadow cruise missile - allowing Ukraine to produce the long-range weapon domestically.
A Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, criticised the UK's decision to share the missile blueprints on Monday. Peskov said: "Britain is involved in this war on the side of the Kyiv regime. Britain methodically and regularly adds fuel to the fire," he added.
In response, Burnham said: "Who started the fire? That's the question, isn't it?" The drone factory in Mildenhall was opened in February and is run by Ukrspecsystems, a Ukrainian firm. At the time, it said it had repurposed a building in order to produce the unmanned aircraft as part of a £200m investment.
Timothy said: "It is not news that Russia targets British infrastructure, including military and industrial sites. "MI5 has warned for years that so-called hybrid warfare methods are a threat to us and we must be prepared for them. " Local politicians are also seeking reassurances.
Mildenhall Town Council's Mayor Russell Leaman said: "When a state like Russia says it may take retaliatory action and we have a large drone factory in Mildenhall, it's of concern. "Day-to-day, I don't think it will affect too many people, but obviously there are some people that are anxious and worry. It would be nice to have some reassurance." Asked if the town council had been contacted by the authorities to offer any reassurance, Leaman said it had not.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
