Kyiv: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to make his first foreign visit as prime minister with a trip to Kyiv, where he will reaffirm the UK’s long-term support for Ukraine and announce plans to share information that could help the country produce its own long-range missiles.
Burnham will chair his first meeting of the coalition of the willing, an international grouping established by the UK and France under former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to support Ukraine. Burnham will also attend events marking Ukraine’s 35th anniversary of independence and accept an award recognizing the British public’s contribution to Ukraine.
A key announcement during the visit will involve defence company MBDA. The UK government has agreed to allow the company to declassify information relating to UK-made components used in the SCALP long-range missile, the French counterpart to Britain’s Storm Shadow missile. The move could provide Ukraine with greater access to missile technology as it continues efforts to strengthen its long-range strike capabilities.
Burnham is expected to use the visit to emphasise Britain’s commitment to Kyiv with a recent escalation in Russian attacks. His trip follows a deadly strike on a shopping centre in Ukraine that reportedly killed at least 16 people.
Ahead of his visit, Burnham said Ukraine should not doubt that Britain would continue to stand alongside it for as long as necessary. He also stressed that the UK’s security was closely linked to Ukraine’s security and said the relationship between the two countries would outlast Russia’s ongoing war.
The development comes with increasing tensions over Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied weapons and technology. Moscow has warned of consequences over Britain’s involvement, particularly following an increase in Ukrainian drone strikes against targets in Russia.
Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian infrastructure, including oil facilities and warehouses operated by major online retailers. Russia has accused Britain of deliberately escalating the conflict, while Burnham has rejected the criticism and maintained that the UK’s assistance is aimed at helping Ukraine defend itself.
The SCALP missile weighs around 1,300kg and measures approximately 5.1 metres in length. It is designed to strike pre-planned stationary targets and can operate in day or night conditions and across different weather environments. The missile uses advanced navigation systems and has been deployed by the British, French and Italian air forces.
Ukraine is also seeking additional Patriot air defence interceptors to protect its cities and infrastructure from Russian ballistic missile attacks. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Kyiv has requested hundreds of additional interceptors as existing supplies remain under pressure.
Meanwhile, fighting continued overnight on both sides. Russian authorities reported that two children were killed and seven people injured after Ukrainian drone debris struck a private children’s centre. A warehouse belonging to online retailer Ozon was also reportedly hit by fire.
In Ukraine, three people were killed in a Russian attack on the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, according to regional authorities. Burnham’s Kyiv visit comes at a critical moment in the conflict, with Britain signalling that its military and political support for Ukraine will continue despite growing tensions with Moscow.
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