Kathrine Frich
Relations between the United Kingdom and Russia have been strained since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
Tensions deepened after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and worsened further with Moscow’s full invasion of Ukraine.
The UK has become one of Kyiv’s most vocal backers, prompting increasingly hostile rhetoric from Russian officials.
This atmosphere has fuelled sharp exchanges and public warnings, with both sides framing their positions against a backdrop of military and political confrontation.
It is within this volatile context that a new message from a senior Russian figure has drawn attention.
Map shared publicly
LADbible reported that Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s former deputy prime minister, posted an updated map marking 23 locations across the United Kingdom as potential targets.
Rogozin, who once oversaw Russia’s defence industry, claimed it could become “deadly dangerous” to be on British soil.
His remarks followed months of criticism directed at the UK for its continued support of Ukraine.
Rogozin said the list of sites was taken from the British government’s Defence Industrial Strategy 2025.
Reaction to UK comments
Rogozin’s post came after former defence secretary Ben Wallace urged allies to cut off Crimea. Wallace said:
“We must help Ukraine acquire long-range capabilities to make Crimea uninhabitable. We need to strangle Crimea.”
Rogozin responded by accusing Western officials of exposing their intentions and urged wealthy Russians to avoid sending their children to the UK.
“It is deadly dangerous,” he wrote.
Kremlin television host Vladimir Solovyov amplified the warning, stating that Rogozin had highlighted “targets in Britain that could be destroyed first.”
Escalating language
Solovyov went on to reference Russia’s Poseidon nuclear drone and claimed Britain could “not exist” overnight.
Such threats have become a regular feature of Russian state media and are often dismissed by analysts as political signalling.
Here are the 23 sites Rogozin mentioned, all of which appear in the publicly available Defence Industrial Strategy 2025:
Glasgow – BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, Thales
Belfast – Harland and Wolff, Spirit Aerosystems, Thales
Fivemiletown – Cooneen Defence
Barrow in Furness – BAE Systems
Bolton – MBDA
Telford – RBSL
Aberporth – QinetiQ, Tekever
Merthyr Tydfil – General Dynamics
Glascoed – BAE Systems
Bristol – Airbus, BAE Systems, GKN Aerospace, Leonardo, MBDA, QinetiQ, Rolls Royce
HMNB Devonport – Babcock
Yeovil – Leonardo
Aldermaston – AWE
London – Helsing, Palantir
Stevenage – Airbus, MBDA
Ampthill – Lockheed Martin
Derby – Rolls Royce
Sheffield – Sheffield Forgemasters
Warton and Samlesbury – BAE Systems
Newton Aycliffe – Octric Semiconductors
Tyne and Wear – BAE Systems, Leonardo
Edinburgh – Leonardo
Rosyth – Babcock, QinetiQ
Sources: LADbible, Defence Industrial Strategy 2025
