Russia has threatened revenge on Britons and UK companies following Sir Keir Starmer’s new £70million missile deal for Ukraine, which is funded by Russian money. Moscow is furious over the 350 ASRAAM air defence missiles paid for from interest on Russian cash held in the West.
Starmer rattled the Kremlin regime by declaring: “Russia, not Ukraine, should pay the price for Putin’s barbaric and illegal war, so it is only right we use the proceeds from seized Russian assets to ensure Ukraine has the air defence it needs.” Leading Putin mouthpiece and propagandist Vladimir Solovyov made a direct threat to the British on his Kremlin-funded primetime show on state TV. He said: “The British [are giving missiles] to Ukraine, and it’ll be paid for with our frozen interest. What does that mean?
“All British companies that are still operating in Russia in any way have to pay for it. Perhaps British citizens too.”
Solovyov – deployed to vent Putin’s anger in public – said: “If we know for a fact that factories are working to supply weapons to the Ukrainian Nazis so that they can shell our cities… [And] the British are manufacturing drones, like the Baltic states. Well, based on the Iranian-Israeli conflict, these are all legitimate targets for us.”
Solovyov is one of the prominent Russians who has repeated over the past years the false claim Ukraine’s leadership is controlled by far-right figures, representing a threat to Russia.
The British-made Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile – also known as AIM-132 – were originally designed for aerial combat but have been adapted as ground launched from UK‑supplied Raven systems – 4×4 Supacat trucks equipped with twin missile rails and sensors.
Moscow has been riled by the historic first in using seized funds for direct weapon procurement.
The ASRAAM air defence missiles have a hit rate of between 70 and 90% against drones, helicopters, loitering munitions, and cruise‑type weapons.
The consignment is part of an overall £4.5billion annual UK military commitment to Ukraine.
