Defiant locals in Stevenage refused to be intimidated by the threat of huge craters from Putin’s bombs and joked: “Have you seen our potholes?”
Kremlin mouth Vladimir Solovyov – who last week urged Moscow to authorise attacks on manufacturing facilities in the Hertfordshire town – was branded a “total throbber” by on irate local, who defiantly declared: “Slava Ukraini!”
The Putin propagandist called for a strike on production facilities making Storm Shadow missiles, which have caused huge damage to Russian warships by Ukrainian forces. He ranted: “I genuinely don’t understand why we don’t hit the Storm Shadow factory in the UK.”
But one battle-hardened local joked: “We in Stevenage aren’t afraid of missile craters. Have you seen our potholes?” And folk joked the town’s schoolkids could be deployed to counter any Russian aggression, describing them as an “absolute wildcard unit.”
Another quipped: “If the Martians ever find out where the probes being used on their planet are made the Russians will need to get in line.”
A third said: “The Russians have been saying they’ll bomb us since 2022. They won’t attack a NATO member state, because an attack on a NATO country is suicide for Russia.
“They are also struggling to take ground in Ukraine. A war Putin said would take a few weeks, has now lasted years. Russia is a paper tiger.” Someone else said: “They’ve been spewing the same crap since the 80’s.. Fearmongering is getting boring now.”
Solovyova – a key Putin ally who has been sanctioned by Britain and the EU for promoting disinformation in the past – called for an attack on the production facilities making Storm Shadow missiles, which are mainly in Stevenage.
He ranted on state tv last week: “Every time I read about another [British-made] Storm Shadow missile strike deep into Russia, I genuinely don’t understand why we don’t hit the Storm Shadow factory in the UK.”
The town’s MP Kevin Bonavia said the threats won’t shake the town, nor would they see its support for the war effort in Ukraine dwindle.
He told the local newspaper: “If these empty threats are meant to scare people in Stevenage, they’ve got another think coming. I’m proud of our town’s role in supporting the Ukrainian people in fighting against Putin’s illegal invasion.
“The Storm Shadows are clearly rattling Putin’s war machine and we will not back down until Ukraine achieves the peace it deserves.”
MBDA UK’s Stevenage plant manufactures Storm Shadow missiles, which are supplied to Ukraine. The air-launched, long-range missile is designed for precision strikes against high-value, fixed targets and have been used in Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory.
The UK and France – Europe’s only nuclear powers – increased its order of the cruise missiles last summer, a move the Ministry of Defence said sustained 1,300 highly skilled jobs across the UK.
And it said upgrading the existing Storm Shadow cruise missile production lines in Stevenage would bolster national stockpiles and support more than 300 jobs at the manufacturer.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said at the time: “From war in Europe, to new nuclear risks and daily cyber-attacks – the threats we face are multiplying.
“As close partners and NATO allies, the UK and France have a deep history of defence collaboration and today’s agreements take our partnership to the next level.
“We stand ready to use our shared might to advance our joint capabilities – equipping us for the decades to come while supporting thousands of UK jobs and keeping our people safe.”
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