A Russian TV and radio presenter and close Putin ally has called for strikes on UK drone factories, demanding Britain pay for supplying Ukraine with drones used in long-range strikes against Russia
A Russian propagandist and close ally of Vladimir Putin has issued a chilling threat to target Britain’s drone manufacturing facilities.
TV and radio presenter Vladimir Solovyov suggested that the nation should face consequences for supplying drones to Ukraine, which have been deployed in long-range attacks on Russian territory.
During his radio programme Full Contact, he declared: “The British are openly saying that these are their drones; then why are we yet to destroy factories in Britain? Because something will happen? What else has to happen? Will Britain use all of its might that it doesn’t have?”.
“England, why are we yet to carry out the strikes against the factories that produce the drones for the strikes against our territory?”.
While there is no precise national figure for drone manufacturing plants in the UK as production is spread across numerous aerospace and defence contractors, Swindon alone houses nine separate drone companies, reports the Express.
The Wiltshire town is regarded as the principal production centre, with established operations alongside additional agreements to establish more facilities.
Its current and incoming businesses include German defence technology company Stark, Tekever, Neros Technologies, DSEI Flyby, and Munin Dynamics, plus Europe’s largest indoor drone testing facility, the Uncrewed Systems Centre at Panattoni Park.
Meanwhile, firms such as Windracers and Malloy Aeronautics manufacture tactical, logistics, and reconnaissance systems across various specialised UK aerospace sites. Major Ukrainian drone manufacturer Ukrspecsystems operates a £200 million production and testing facility in Suffolk, crafting battle-tested reconnaissance platforms such as the PD-2 and Shark UAVs.
Specialised defence contractors and developers like Callen-Lenz construct and trial tactical unmanned air systems in rural and military-adjacent test sites across southern England.
In Scotland, regional commercial and custom UAV manufacturers such as the Edinburgh Drone Company design and manufacture specialised fixed-wing and multi-rotor drones near Edinburgh.
This isn’t the first time Russia has issued a warning over the UK providing Ukraine with drone technology and Storm Shadow missiles.
The Russian Embassy previously stated, “London’s actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer”.
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