Nicolai Haugsted
City in NATO Member State Identified as Russia’s Next Missile Target
Military factories are not usually the reason a town makes international headlines.
Stevenage has found itself in exactly that position after a prominent Russian state television presenter publicly questioned why Russia was not targeting a local factory linked to the production of Storm Shadow missiles used by Ukraine.
Comments have triggered a sharp response from local politicians and added another layer to the increasingly hostile rhetoric surrounding the war.
Russian TV Turns Attention to Stevenage
Discussion began after Russian state television host Vladimir Solovyov spoke about British defence facilities connected to weapons supplied to Ukraine.
Solovyov specifically referenced a factory operated by defence company MBDA in Stevenage, where components linked to Storm Shadow missiles are produced.
“Every time I read about another Storm Shadow missile strike deep into Russia, I genuinely don’t understand why we don’t hit the Storm Shadow factory in the UK,” Solovyov said during a broadcast.
Storm Shadow missiles have been among the most significant Western-supplied weapons used by Ukrainian forces against Russian targets.
Stevenage is not the only British location connected to MBDA operations, though the town was singled out during the television segment.
Local MP Rejects Threats
Kevin Bonavia, the Labour MP for Stevenage, dismissed the comments and accused Russian state media of attempting to intimidate the local population.
“If these empty threats are meant to scare people in Stevenage, they’ve got another thing coming,” Bonavia said.
Bonavia also defended the town’s role in Britain’s defence industry and its contribution to Ukraine’s war effort.
Support for Ukraine Remains Firm
Political leaders across Britain have repeatedly argued that military assistance to Ukraine is necessary following Russia’s invasion.
Bonavia echoed that position and praised the role of British-made weapons in supporting Kyiv.
“The Storm Shadows are clearly rattling Putin’s war machine and we will not back down until Ukraine achieves the peace it deserves,” he said.
Russian officials have frequently criticized Western countries for supplying advanced weapons to Ukraine, while Britain and its allies maintain that such support is essential for Ukraine’s defence.
Any direct attack on British territory would carry major international consequences. As a member of NATO, the United Kingdom falls under the alliance’s collective defence commitments, meaning an attack on one member can trigger a response from all allies.
Against that backdrop, Solovyov’s comments have been viewed by many observers as another example of the increasingly aggressive rhetoric that continues to accompany the conflict.
(Ladbible)
