Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham at a naval base in England. Burnham expressed the visit underscores the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine.
This meeting marks Zelenskyy’s first visit by a foreign leader since Burnham assumed office a week ago. Previously, Keir Starmer, the former British Prime Minister, traveled to Kyiv less than two weeks ago on his final trip before leaving office.
Andy Burnham is now the fifth British prime minister to engage with President Zelenskyy since the escalation of the invasion in 2022. He declared, “Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve, and we will not back down until we achieve long lasting and just peace for Ukraine.” Despite his limited foreign policy background, having served as Mayor of Greater Manchester for nine years, he stands firm in his commitment.
During Zelenskyy’s visit, the leaders will meet over 200 Ukrainian military personnel stationed in the UK for a three-week training exercise designed to strengthen war-fighting capabilities and enhance countermine measures in the Black Sea.
The UK will transfer the intellectual property for its new “Stone Cloak” electronic warfare system to Ukraine. The system blocks drones from detection, a critical technology in the ongoing conflict.
Ukraine has intensified its deep strikes, frequently targeting Russian oil facilities, military factories, and logistical centers. These attacks challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin’s narrative that the conflict doesn’t affect ordinary Russians.
Despite these strikes, Putin remains undeterred and has escalated Russia’s aerial campaign, launching regular missile and drone attacks on Ukraine. Recently, a Russian strike caused a fire at a shopping complex in Zaporizhzhia.
Overnight, Russia attacked Ukraine using 147 long-range drones. The Ukrainian air force reported intercepting or jamming 123 of these drones. One person died and two were injured in Zaporizhzhia. In the Nikopol district, Russian strikes damaged vital infrastructure, injuring a woman and a young child.
In Moscow, Russia’s Defense Ministry stated air defenses shot down 276 Ukrainian drones overnight. In Rostov-on-Don, a drone hit an apartment building, killing a couple and injuring five others.
A Ukrainian drone attack in Belgorod injured 12 individuals, including two children. Meanwhile, Ukraine targeted an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, resulting in one sailor’s death.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack as a “violation of the U.N. Charter” and accused it of being orchestrated at Israel’s request to involve Europe in the conflict. He addressed his concerns with the European Union foreign policy chief and Russian Foreign Minister.
Zelenskyy praised Ukrainian long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea, claiming success in targeting vessels associated with Iran’s military cargo and a warship.