(KYIV) – The UK has agreed to hand over blueprints and technology to allow Ukraine to produce its own long range Storm Shadow cruise missiles, a significant step in the country’s effort to guarantee its own weapons supply.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrived in Kyiv on Monday for his first foreign visit as prime minister. He is set to announce that the UK and France have jointly agreed to share the plans so Ukraine can manufacture its own models of the British Storm Shadow or French Scalp cruise missiles.
The move follows an agreement by the UK government to allow defence company MBDA to declassify information on UK components for the long range Scalp missile. It marks the first step towards Ukraine adopting the technology needed to produce other ranges of missiles domestically.
Mr Burnham will also chair his first meeting of the “coalition of the willing”, the partnership of 35 nations supporting Ukraine that was set up by the UK and France under his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer. The meeting will discuss what further support Ukraine needs to continue the fight.
The visit coincides with Ukraine marking 35 years of independence from the Soviet Union. Mr Burnham will meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and attend ceremonial events. He will also receive an award being given by Ukraine to the British people in recognition of their long standing support since the start of the war. The prime minister said he wanted to tell the Ukrainian people that British support would not waver despite Russia’s threats against Britain.
Last week, Moscow warned of “consequences” over the use of British drones by Ukraine in its recent escalation of strikes on Russian infrastructure.
Ukraine continued to hit Russian targets over the weekend. The Russian retail group Ozon said several of its warehouses were targeted. Russia also continued attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure and vessels in the Odesa region.
Former Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, told the BBC that front lines in the conflict are frozen, with neither side holding a particular advantage. He said the war has moved towards strategic strikes beyond the front lines. Mr Prystaiko noted that Ukraine has the advantage of support from half of Europe and the world, whereas Russia has only clients buying oil at a huge discount.
On Independence Day, Mr Prystaiko said Ukrainians remain optimistic despite the heavy price being paid for independence. He said there is no despair, but an understanding that the war will be long. He added that Ukraine is trying to acquire technologies such as UK missiles and US Patriot systems because it understands the war is for the nation’s existence.
Regarding innovation, Mr Prystaiko highlighted Ukrainian ingenuity, citing the Magura naval drones which pushed the Russian fleet out of the Black Sea. He said Ukraine is no longer just intercepting missiles but is now trying to target the archers.
On the subject of wartime elections, Mr Prystaiko said the idea, raised by former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, stems from the principle that Ukraine is different from Russia. However, he stated that most Ukrainians are united in the view that the country must exercise discipline and cannot hold elections that could threaten national unity during the war.
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