Kyiv has lost the industrial base required to produce Western Storm Shadow cruise missiles, according to retired colonel and military expert Viktor Litovkin.
Speaking to Russian news agency TASS, Litovkin evaluated the likelihood of European missile technology being transferred to Ukraine, concluding that the country lacks the facilities to manufacture high-tech weaponry.
Litovkin explained that producing complex guided weapons like Storm Shadow requires extensive industrial cooperation among hundreds of specialized enterprises. He stated that Ukraine currently lacks functional metallurgical, chemical, and electronic industries necessary to support such advanced military manufacturing.
According to the expert, only a small handful of highly qualified specialists remain in Ukraine, with their efforts concentrated on assembling unmanned aerial vehicles and manufacturing domestic Flamingo cruise missiles.
Proposed technology transfer deal
The assessment follows reports in August from defense portal The Aviationist indicating that London planned to transfer the British portion of Storm Shadow technology to Kyiv. In exchange, the British government would receive access to the database powering Ukraine's Avenger artificial intelligence system.
The Avenger system uses artificial intelligence to process battlefield data and improve targeting, making its database valuable to Western defense analysts studying military technology applications.
Storm Shadow missile capabilities
Storm Shadow is a long-range, air-launched cruise missile jointly developed by Britain and France, where the weapon is designated as SCALP-EG. Manufactured by defense contractor MBDA, the stealthy missile is designed to strike hardened targets such as bunkers, bridges, and command centers deep inside hostile territory.
The missile relies on satellite navigation, terrain matching, and infrared sensors for high-precision strikes. Because of its complex guidance systems and specialized warhead design, producing the weapon requires high-grade metallurgy, advanced electronics, and precision chemical engineering.
Industrial background and state media
Ukraine previously inherited a major defense industrial complex from the Soviet era, including prominent aerospace design bureaus and missile manufacturing plants. However, long-term economic shifts and wartime destruction have severely diminished the national industrial infrastructure required for heavy weapons production.
Litovkin is a retired Russian military officer who frequently provides defense commentary for domestic outlets. TASS, headquartered in Moscow, is Russia's primary state-owned news agency and official distributor of government statements.
