Western-built weapons factories in Ukraine will be the object of "special attention" for the Russian military, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, commenting on reports of the possible opening of British weapons production facilities on Ukrainian territory.

"Of course, we take it with a minus sign. And of course, any facilities for the production of weapons, especially if these weapons shoot at us, become the object of special attention for our military, "the Kremlin spokesman said.

Peskov stressed that the deployment of Western facilities on Ukrainian territory engaged in the production of weapons "will not contribute to détente and resolve the conflict around Ukraine." At the same time, according to the presidential press secretary, this will not affect the course of the NWO.

"This cannot fundamentally change the situation. It also cannot in any way affect the predetermination of the successful implementation and completion of a special military operation," Peskov said.

Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the British defense company BAE Systems intends to open first an office, and then production facilities on Ukrainian territory. An agreement on this was reached at the end of August during a meeting between Zelensky and representatives of BAE Systems - Executive Director Charles Woodburn, Managing Director Gabbie Costigan and Director of Cooperation with Ukraine Christian Ciar.

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy's meeting with representatives of BAE Systems
  • © Office of the President of Ukraine

"We discussed the localization of production in Ukraine. We agreed to start work on opening an office of BAE Systems in Ukraine, and then facilities for the repair and production of the company's products," Zelensky wrote in his Telegram channel.

According to him, Ukraine is ready "to become a large regional hub for the repair and production of various types of products of BAE Systems," and is also interested "in more global relations."

In turn, Zelensky's press service reported that following the meeting, agreements were signed on cooperation in localizing the production of weapons by BAE Systems and a framework agreement on cooperation in the repair, supply of spare parts and production of L119 light guns.

Information about these negotiations was published on the website of BAE Systems. The company noted that two agreements were signed with Kiev. The first "paves the way for the company's cooperation with the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in order to understand and support their future power structure and capabilities needs, as well as to assist in the restoration of Ukraine's industrial base." As part of the second agreement, "a structure is being created that allows BAE Systems to cooperate directly with Ukraine in order to explore options for potential partnerships and also how this could ultimately contribute to the production of 105-mm Light Guns (howitzers L119 Light Gun. - RT) in the country.

"BAE Systems has established a local division ready to support such aspirations," the company added.

The BAE Systems release also says that these agreements were concluded "a few days after Ukraine and Sweden signed a statement of intent to strengthen cooperation in the production, operation, training and maintenance of the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle, which is currently being produced at BAE Systems' Hägglunds plant in Sweden."

BAE Systems is one of the largest Western companies in the military-industrial complex. It produces, in particular, Typhoon fighters, Challenger 2 tanks, CVR (T), AMPV and M113 tracked platforms, CV90 and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, various self-propelled artillery mounts (ACS) and other equipment.

Investing in war

It is worth noting that negotiations with BAE Systems are not the first attempt by Kiev to achieve the deployment of Western weapons production on its territory.

So, in July, the general director of the German company Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, said in an interview with CNN about his intention to open a plant for the production of armored vehicles in Western Ukraine within three months. According to the general director of Rheinmetall, the company will manage the enterprise together with Ukroboronprom, with which they have signed a cooperation agreement.

  • Militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine repair the Leopard 2 tank
  • AP
  • © Andriy Andriyenko

Recall that Rheinmetall is one of the largest manufacturers of military equipment in Europe. The concern produces, in particular, the Lynx and Marder infantry fighting vehicles, as well as the Leopard 2 tanks.

Papperger spoke about plans to expand production in Ukraine back in March of this year, according to the ZDF TV channel. Then the head of Rheinmetall said that the construction of an enterprise capable of producing about 400 Panther tanks per year could cost € 200 million.

It is worth noting that against the backdrop of arms supplies to Ukraine, Rheinmetall announced a 2022% increase in revenue at the end of 13 to €6.4 billion, and revenue in 2023 is expected to be even higher - from €7.4 to €7.6 billion.

In addition, back in December 2021, the head of the office of the Ukrainian president, Andriy Yermak, said that Ukraine had allegedly launched its own production of Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones. At the same time, it was separately emphasized that Kiev also produces engines for these UAVs. However, in June 2023, the CEO of the Turkish company Baykar, Haluk Bayraktar, actually denied the Ukrainian data, stating that he expects to start production of Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar Akinci combat UAVs in Ukraine only in 2025.

"Political Declaration"

According to analysts, Kiev's plans to organize the production of foreign weapons on its territory are due to the fact that Ukraine's own industrial capacities have been greatly reduced in recent years.

"It has not yet been possible to completely destroy the military-industrial complex of Ukraine, but all the main production facilities, of course, have suffered greatly. What is still functioning is, firstly, a huge repair base left over from Soviet times. On its basis, it is possible to improve something, to carry out some kind of modernization, but not to carry out full-cycle production. Secondly, there are still civilian enterprises that have now also been reconfigured for the repair of military equipment, but not for its production, "said Dmitry Evstafiev, a professor at the HSE Institute of Media, in a conversation with RT.

  • The wreckage of the Bayraktar TB2 UAV shot down in Ukraine
  • globallookpress.com
  • © MOD Russia

In addition, as the political scientist said, in Ukraine "there is a fairly large number of handicraft or semi-handicraft industries."

"But, judging by the samples that appear at the front, they do not play any significant role. The main part of the military equipment at the moment is still supplied by the West, "Evstafiev emphasized.

At the same time, the analyst believes that in Ukraine, in reality, "no BAE Systems weapons will be produced, given that there are problems with military production in Britain itself."

"The announcement of the construction of British factories for the production of weapons in Ukraine is a political declaration of support for Kyiv. It is needed to show that nothing has changed with the departure of Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace, the main engine of military support for Ukraine," the political scientist says.

At the same time, the expert does not exclude the possibility of creating repair plants in Ukraine. "But this will be real only on the condition that the hostilities will be frozen under one pretext or another and these factories will not be attacked," Dmitry Evstafiev believes.

A similar point of view is shared by Vladimir Bruter, an expert at the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies.

"Just imagine how much technology needs to be imported into Ukraine in order to start arms production. And there Russia can also destroy these plants. Perhaps they will begin to open something just for a picture in the media, and perhaps they will not do anything at all, "the analyst said in a commentary to RT.

In turn, a member of the State Duma commission on countering foreign interference, deputy Oleg Matveychev, in an interview with RT, noted that Russia has all the necessary tools to destroy defense plants in Ukraine if the West still decides to open them.

"We have all the necessary means to detect and destroy such objects. Against some types of our missiles, no air defense systems that exist in the world today work. For example, our hypersonic missiles penetrate any air defense. If we make sure that a Western military plant has really been built there, it will be destroyed," the expert concluded.