Residents of Stevenage have responded defiantly to threats from a Russian state TV presenter to bomb the town's Storm Shadow missile factory, joking about local potholes and dismissing the warnings as empty.
Vladimir Solovyov, a Kremlin propagandist sanctioned by Britain and the EU, called for a strike on production facilities in the Hertfordshire town that make Storm Shadow missiles. These missiles have been used by Ukrainian forces to cause significant damage to Russian warships. On state television, he said: "Every time I read about another [British-made] Storm Shadow missile strike deep into Russia, I genuinely don't understand why we don't hit the Storm Shadow factory in the UK."
Locals Unfazed by Threats
One resident joked: "We in Stevenage aren't afraid of missile craters. Have you seen our potholes?" Another branded Solovyov a "total throbber" and declared "Slava Ukraini!" Others suggested the town's schoolchildren could be deployed as an "absolute wildcard unit" against any Russian aggression.
Another local quipped: "If the Martians ever find out where the probes being used on their planet are made the Russians will need to get in line." A third resident said: "The Russians have been saying they'll bomb us since 2022. They won't attack a NATO member state, because an attack on a NATO country is suicide for Russia. They are also struggling to take ground in Ukraine. A war Putin said would take a few weeks, has now lasted years. Russia is a paper tiger."
MP Responds to Kremlin Rhetoric
Stevenage MP Kevin Bonavia said the threats would not shake the town or diminish its support for Ukraine. He told the local newspaper: "If these empty threats are meant to scare people in Stevenage, they've got another think coming. I'm proud of our town's role in supporting the Ukrainian people in fighting against Putin's illegal invasion. The Storm Shadows are clearly rattling Putin's war machine and we will not back down until Ukraine achieves the peace it deserves."
The MBDA UK plant in Stevenage manufactures Storm Shadow missiles supplied to Ukraine. These air-launched, long-range missiles are designed for precision strikes against high-value, fixed targets and have been used in Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory.
UK and France Boost Missile Orders
Last summer, the UK and France increased their order of the cruise missiles. The Ministry of Defence said this move sustained 1,300 highly skilled jobs across the UK and that upgrading production lines in Stevenage would bolster national stockpiles and support more than 300 jobs at the manufacturer.
Then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said at the time: "From war in Europe, to new nuclear risks and daily cyber-attacks – the threats we face are multiplying. As close partners and NATO allies, the UK and France have a deep history of defence collaboration and today's agreements take our partnership to the next level. We stand ready to use our shared might to advance our joint capabilities - equipping us for the decades to come while supporting thousands of UK jobs and keeping our people safe."
