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British Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrived in Kyiv on Monday with plans to release classified information on British-made components of Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles, allowing Ukraine to move toward domestic production of the long-range weapons, The Telegraph reported.
The decision, announced during Burnham’s first foreign trip as prime minister and on Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day, authorizes defense company MBDA to share sensitive British technical information needed for production.
France had already agreed in July to provide Ukraine with blueprints for its SCALP-EG missile, the French version of Storm Shadow, but production depended on Britain approving the release of details about U.K.-made components.
“Despite Russia’s outrageous threats to my country, we will continue our support for Ukraine’s defense," Burnham said in Kyiv.
Britain and France have supplied Ukraine with limited numbers of Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG missiles since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
The air-launched cruise missiles have a range of about 250 kilometers, or 150 miles, and carry bunker-busting warheads. Ukraine has used them against fortified targets, including strikes on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters and a submarine in Sevastopol in September 2023.
The U.K. became the first country to provide Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine in 2023. Ukraine first used them against targets inside Russia in 2024 after the Biden administration eased restrictions on cross-border strikes.
The Trump administration later reinstated the restriction before lifting it again in October 2025.
The missiles rely on classified U.S. targeting data to fly at low altitude toward their targets, and it remains unclear whether Washington would approve such data for every strike involving missiles produced in Ukraine.
Ukraine may also face difficulties establishing the complex production lines needed to manufacture the weapons, meaning production may not begin immediately.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pushed for more Western weapons to be produced inside Ukraine to speed up deliveries.
Burnham met Zelenskyy and was due to take part in a Coalition of the Willing meeting with 34 leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were expected to join remotely.
European Council President Antonio Costa and Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden also traveled to Kyiv.
Air defense was expected to be a central issue as Russia intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine received 675 Patriot interceptor missiles in 2023, 364 in 2025, and an expected 264 in 2026. He said Kyiv had requested 360 interceptors from allies and hoped to receive at least 300 ahead of winter.
Ukraine has faced shortages of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors since the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran in February, diverting supplies. Zelenskyy has said Russia can produce around 100 ballistic missiles a month.
The European Union also announced €6.1 billion ($7.1 billion) in additional military aid for Ukraine on Monday, part of a €90 billion loan that includes €60 billion in military support.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Britain of participating in the war on Kyiv’s side and of obstructing peace efforts.
“Britain methodically and regularly adds fuel to the fire,” Peskov said.
He said Russian forces were gathering intelligence to identify missile and military equipment production sites in Ukraine and would take measures to destroy them.
The Kremlin also criticized Britain following reports that U.K.-made drones had been used for strikes inside Russia, previously warning London that it would pay a “high price.”
Russia recently confirmed that Andrei Kelin, its ambassador to the U.K. for seven years, had left his post, with no replacement announced. Moscow said bilateral relations had fallen to an “unprecedentedly low level.”
Western intelligence sources cited by The Telegraph have also accused Russia of carrying out sabotage operations against European arms factories, including fires and explosions at facilities in Estonia, Italy, and Bulgaria producing drones and ammunition for Ukraine.
A NATO official said the alliance was monitoring Russian “hybrid” activities, including cyberattacks, assassination attempts, and sabotage.
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Burnham said Britain would continue supporting Ukraine despite Russian threats.
“The Ukrainian people should be in no doubt—the U.K. is behind you today and for as long as it takes,” he said.
He said Ukraine’s security was also Britain’s security and pledged continued cooperation during the war and reconstruction.
“We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace,” Burnham said.
He also reaffirmed Britain’s recognition of Ukraine’s sovereignty and said international borders “cannot be changed by force,” while pledging to continue building the two countries’ 100-year partnership.
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