Russia has accused Britain of "participating in this war" after Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the UK will share secret missile technology with Ukraine. The Kremlin responded angrily to the news, which came during Mr Burnham's first foreign visit to Kyiv.
Moscow accused the UK of "pouring fuel on the fire" after Mr Burnham announced that Britain would help Ukraine produce long-range Scalp missiles by sharing blueprints for its British components with Kyiv.
Kremlin response
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Britain is participating in this war. It is participating in this war on the side of the Kyiv regime. Britain methodically and regularly pours fuel on the fire and methodically and regularly plots to prevent any progress in the peace process."
He added: "Our armed forces are conducting the relevant work, obtaining the relevant information in order to identify the production sites of such missiles, the production sites of other military equipment, and are taking measures to destroy these sites."
Missile technology sharing
The weapons the UK is supplying information about are the French-produced versions of the UK's Storm Shadow, which Ukraine has been using to hit targets in Russia. Kyiv and Paris are looking to set up local assembly lines to produce them in the country.
The Government has agreed that defence firm MBDA can release classified information on UK components for the long-range Scalp missile - the French-produced version of the UK's Storm Shadow. Both missiles use shared French and British technology.
UK resolve
Mr Burnham said: "Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve. We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace."
On Ukrainian Independence Day, the PM told the Ukrainian people "the UK is behind you today and for as long as it takes" and that Russia's threats only strengthen the UK's resolve. He warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that the nation "will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace".
The move follows the UK being the first to gift long-range strike weapons for defensive purposes to Ukraine in 2023 and will allow the French and Ukrainians to move forward with the Ukrainian assembly of the missile. It also complements the major UK effort to rapidly develop low-cost advanced long-range strike weapons for Ukraine through Project Brakestop.
