Britain said it will help Kyiv build Storm Shadow missiles in Ukraine. Hours later, the Kremlin announced that Russian forces are already working to find the production sites.

On August 24, 2026, Ukraine celebrated its 35th anniversary of independence, with world leaders including Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham arriving in Kyiv for the occasion. The British Defense Ministry announced on the same day that it would provide Ukraine with the technology to produce Storm Shadow missiles, equivalent to France's SCALP missiles, within Ukraine.

This announcement came a day after the British government authorized defense company MBDA to share classified information about the SCALP missile's British components. While France had already licensed Ukraine to produce SCALP missiles, the key point is that complex missiles like these require full-scale factories to manufacture jet engines, rocket fuel, and guidance systems.

Ukraine had previously received licenses for complex weapons, but the promised plants were never completed or were destroyed during Russian attacks. The plan to transfer the license for Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles aims to address Europe's struggle to scale up missile production for Ukraine. However, building plants specifically for Ukraine's missile program would face organizational and financial challenges.

Burnham emphasized the UK's support for Ukraine during his visit, stating that the country's security is also Britain's security. Russia condemned Britain's plans, calling it participation in the war on the side of the Ukrainian regime.