Why Russia could target UK town home to 233,000 people in direct threat
Well, it seems to be another day of fearing Russia as chilling warnings and ‘lists’ seem to be made.
There’s no denying tensions with Vladimir Putin’s country have escalated and we have fair reasoning to be worried.
Russian media has been airing ‘sooner or later’ threats of strikes on the UK and the Kremlin reportedly have lists of targets in circulation.
And there’s a town with an estimated population of over 233,000 that’s thought to be a possible target – Swindon.
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In Wiltshire, it’s described as the ‘largest settlement in the country’ based off the 2021 census and proposals for factories there puts it in line with Russia’s threats.
State TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov (seen as a close ally of Putin) has suggested the state should ‘destroy factories’ on British soil.
His threat comes due to Britain supplying drones to Ukraine amid the conflict.
“The British are openly saying that these are their drones - then why are we yet to destroy factories in Britain?” Solovyov ranted on his propagandist radio show.
“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?”
The Swindon Advertiser reports that nine drone manufacturers have pledged to set up sites around the town. And in June, the Ministry of Defence opened the Uncrewed Systems Centre at a warehouse, operating as Europe’s biggest drone testing centre.
A number of other facilities and bases are set for the area with the likes of STARK setting up its first production site outside of Germany and California-based Neros Technologies using it for its UK HQ and production base.
Russia has already warned of ‘consequences for which the UK will have to answer’ as a result of Ukraine using British-supplied drones.
Russia’s embassy to the UK said: “The deeper its involvement in the conflict and the greater its support for Kyiv’s terrorist machinery, the higher the price it will pay.”
Responding to this, Swindon North MP Will Stone told the Advertiser: “We have to take every threat seriously and we absolutely are.
“We have been supplying drones to Ukraine for some time because we have a bad state trying to invade a sovereign territory.
“Russia has a history with the UK - there have been cyber-attacks, ghost fleets and submarines in our waters. If anyone is escalating the situation, it’s them.”
Swindon isn’t listed on previous ‘strike lists’ directly and there is nothing to confirm that Russia would officially target the town.
23 UK towns and cities on Russia’s ‘strike list’
Meanwhile, a leaked map, previously shared by former Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin, highlights 23 potential targets in the UK, including military and industrial hubs.
- Glasgow – BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Thales
- Belfast – Harland & Wolff, Spirit Aerosystems, Thales
- Fivemiletown – Cooneen Defence
- Barrow-in-Furness – BAE Systems
- Bolton – MBDA
- Telford – RBSL
- Aberporth – QinetiQ, Tekever
- Merthyr Tydfil – General Dynamics
- Glascoed – BAE Systems
- Bristol – Airbus, BAE Systems, GKN Aerospace, Leonardo, MBDA, QinetiQ, Rolls-Royce
- HMNB Devonport – Babcock
- Yeovil – Leonardo
- Aldermaston – AWE
- London – Helsing, Palantir
- Stevenage – Airbus, MBDA
- Ampthill – Lockheed Martin
- Derby – Rolls-Royce
- Sheffield – Sheffield Forgemasters
- Warton & Samlesbury – BAE Systems
- Newton Aycliffe – Octric Semiconductors
- Tyne & Wear – BAE Systems, Leonardo
- Edinburgh – Leonardo
- Rosyth – Babcock, QinetiQ
Topics: Russia, Vladimir Putin, UK News
Jess Battison