UK to share missile tech with Ukraine, says PM Andy Burnham

Key Points:

• The U.K. will assist Ukraine in producing long-range SCALP missiles by sharing classified technical details of British components, enabling Ukraine to assemble these weapons domestically.
• The SCALP missile, a French-produced version of the U.K.'s Storm Shadow, is a high-precision, air-launched missile with a range exceeding 250 kilometers, designed to target hardened and stationary structures.
• Experts caution that Ukrainian-assembled SCALP missiles are unlikely to be operational before next year and will not address the immediate need for protection against Russian ballistic missile attacks this winter.
• Ukraine is also in talks with France to establish missile assembly lines, and the U.K. continues to support Ukraine with longer-range strike weapons and development of new ground-launched systems capable of hitting targets over 500 kilometers away.
• The British announcement drew criticism from Russia, which accused the U.K. of escalating the conflict, a claim rejected by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham.