THE UK Government is under scrutiny over whether Scottish bombs are being used to fuel “forever war” in Ukraine – after specialist missiles were pledged to the war-torn country.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace updated the country on Britain’s involvement in the Ukraine war on Thursday, telling the Commons the UK had “donated” Storm Shadow missiles to boost the country’s ability to fight back against the invading Russian army.
Alba MP Kenny MacAskill has now filed a number of questions for the Government to answer after The National uncovered evidence which suggests the weapons may have been supplied from an arsenal in Scotland.
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He said: “The people of Scotland have a right to know whether long range cruise missiles which are being sent to a war zone in Ukraine are being assembled, stockpiled and serviced in Scotland.”
The Ministry of Defence repeatedly refused to say where the missiles were kept before being sent to Ukraine, citing “operational security reasons”.
But publicly available documents suggest the weapons were stored at a defence munitions (DM) base in Beith, North Ayrshire.
A log book published by the UK Government “to be transferred with the Storm Shadow missile” states a requirement for the log “to be raised by DM Beith prior to the missile being issued”.
And an entry in the Gazetteer for Scotland, a publication supported by Edinburgh University and the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, said DM Beith had recently “assembled, stored and serviced complex weapons such as […] Storm Shadow missiles”.
MacAskill has tabled a number of parliamentary questions on the specifics of Scotland’s involvement in sending weapons to Ukraine – while also asking whether the UK Government would match its military support with a push for “peace and diplomacy”.
He told The National: “With a Ukrainian counter-offensive apparently imminent the risks of missiles flying in all directions is escalating.
“The people of Scotland have a right to know whether long-range cruise missiles which are being sent to a war zone in Ukraine are being assembled, stockpiled and serviced in Scotland.
“We need to know as a matter of urgency and before these weapons are sent what role if any the Defence Munitions centre in Beith in North Ayrshire may be playing in propping up a forever war in Ukraine with no end in sight.
“I have today tabled parliamentary written questions to ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will confirm the number of Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles which are being deployed in Ukraine and at what cost, if he will confirm if all or any of these weapons are being assembled, stored or serviced in Scotland and what role if any the Defence Munitions centre at Beith in North Ayrshire is playing in these military endeavours.
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“In addition, I have asked Ben Wallace to set out what assessment has been made of the military and associated risks, such a move by the UK Government, will have for the safety and security of defence munition centres and the local populations surrounding them.
“We are also entitled to ask where is the UK and international effort to push for peace and diplomacy to match the willingness to send weapons to Ukraine? Where is the jaw-jaw as well as the war-war?
“It’s time the UK Government and the political establishment, as well as the SNP, listened to the wise words of Pope Francis who calls for peace and diplomacy.”
Announcing the UK’s extra military support for Ukraine in the Commons, Wallace said the missiles would aid President Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops to “push back Russian forces based within Ukrainian sovereign territory” and gave the country the “best chance to defend themselves against Russia’s continued brutality” in light of recent attacks on civilian infrastructure.
But he said he would provide no further details on the missiles, meaning it is not known how many missiles have been sent or at what cost to the taxpayer.
Wallace added: “Russia must recognise that their actions alone have led to such systems being provided to Ukraine.
“It is my judgement as the Defence Secretary that this is a calibrated proportionate response to Russia’s escalations.”
The Ministry of Defence declined to comment further.
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