KYIV, Ukraine — British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has arrived in Kyiv on his first overseas visit since taking office, carrying a major new commitment to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to produce long-range missiles domestically.
Burnham is expected to announce that the United Kingdom has authorised defence company MBDA to release classified information concerning British-made components used in the SCALP long-range cruise missile, the French-produced counterpart of Britain’s Storm Shadow. The move is intended to help Ukraine and France establish missile assembly lines inside Ukraine.
The announcement comes as Burnham marks Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day alongside President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the visit, the British prime minister is also expected to chair his first meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, an international group supporting Ukraine.
Blueprints to boost Ukraine’s defence industry
The UK decision is significant because it moves beyond simply supplying finished weapons to helping Ukraine develop greater domestic capacity to manufacture long-range strike systems.
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The SCALP missile uses shared French and British technology, while the British Storm Shadow is closely related. By allowing the release of classified information on UK components, London is clearing a path for French and Ukrainian partners to move ahead with local production.
The long-range weapons are designed for precision strikes against targets well behind the front line. According to BBC reporting, the missile has a range of roughly 150 miles (241 kilometres).
The development could give Kyiv greater control over its long-range strike arsenal at a time when Ukraine continues to face Russian missile and drone attacks and is seeking to expand its own defence-production capabilities.
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Burnham: UK support will not waver
Burnham has used his visit to reinforce London’s commitment to Ukraine, insisting that Britain will continue to stand with Kyiv.
“Ukraine’s security is our security,” the prime minister said, according to the UK government, adding that Britain’s support would continue for as long as necessary.
The UK government said Britain has committed approximately £25 billion in funding for Ukraine, including £16 billion in military assistance and £5.6 billion in non-military support.
Russia condemns the move
The announcement has already drawn a sharp reaction from Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Britain of escalating the conflict by assisting Ukraine’s long-range missile capabilities. Russia has also warned that it is gathering intelligence on Ukrainian missile-production facilities and has threatened to target them.
The development comes amid increasingly tense relations between Moscow and London, following Russian criticism of Britain’s military support for Ukraine and reports of British-made drones being used in strikes against targets inside Russia.
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A new phase in Western military support
Burnham’s Kyiv visit therefore carries significance beyond the symbolic message of solidarity on Ukraine’s Independence Day.
The agreement could mark a further shift in Western assistance—from supplying Ukraine with weapons manufactured abroad to helping Kyiv build a more self-sufficient defence industry capable of producing sophisticated long-range weapons on its own territory.
For Ukraine, that could mean a more reliable supply of precision-strike weapons. For Britain and its allies, however, the move risks further escalation with Moscow.
As Burnham meets Zelenskyy and other international leaders in Kyiv, his message is clear: Britain intends to remain firmly behind Ukraine while the war continues and during the country’s eventual reconstruction.
The missile blueprint deal could consequently become one of the most significant defence-industry commitments of Burnham’s first weeks as British prime minister.
