British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has visited Kyiv on his first foreign trip since taking office, announcing fresh UK support for Ukraine’s domestic production of long-range missiles as the war with Russia continues.
Burnham is in the Ukrainian capital to co-chair a meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing,” a group of countries supporting Kyiv, and is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The British government is also expected to allow European defence company MBDA to declassify information about British-made components used in the SCALP long-range cruise missile. According to Downing Street, the move could help France and Ukraine establish local assembly lines for the weapon, which combines British and French technology.
“Ukraine’s security is our security,” Burnham said, reaffirming Britain’s commitment to supporting Kyiv “for as long as it takes.”
The planned declassification is seen as an important step in Ukraine’s efforts to expand domestic weapons manufacturing and reduce its dependence on foreign supplies.
The SCALP missile, the French counterpart of Britain’s Storm Shadow, weighs about 1,300 kilogrammes and is approximately 5.1 metres long. It is designed to strike pre-planned stationary targets at distances of around 150 miles.
The weapon uses advanced navigation systems and can operate during the day or night and in different weather conditions.
British Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the UK was sharing information to help Ukraine strengthen its ability to defend itself, adding that Britain was also providing air defence systems and equipment to counter drones.
Burnham’s visit comes amid heightened tensions between Britain and Russia over London’s military support for Ukraine.
Russia has warned Britain of “consequences” over its reported involvement in Ukrainian strikes using British-made equipment.
Responding to the warning, Burnham said Britain would remain committed to Ukraine.
“We are not fair-weather friends, we will be there in Ukraine’s hour of need and that won’t change,” he said.
Britain has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, providing military, economic and diplomatic assistance.
The UK has pledged more than £25 billion in military and civilian support to Ukraine and was among the first Western countries to provide Kyiv with long-range cruise missiles and battle tanks.
Ukraine is also seeking additional Patriot interceptor missiles to strengthen its defences against Russian ballistic missile attacks.
Zelensky said Kyiv had requested 360 Patriot missiles and was working with partner countries on additional options.
The Patriot system serves a different purpose from the SCALP missile. While Patriot interceptors are designed to defend against incoming threats, SCALP provides Ukraine with long-range strike capabilities.
Burnham’s visit comes as Ukraine continues to face attacks from Russia while increasingly relying on long-range drones and missiles to target military and logistical infrastructure deep behind the front lines.
Meanwhile, overnight fighting continued, with Russian authorities reporting that two children were killed and seven others injured after debris from a Ukrainian drone struck a private children’s centre in Russia.
