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UK PM Burnham to visit Kyiv as Britain approves missile assembly data
The UK has agreed to let defence firm MBDA release classified information on UK components for SCALP to support local missile assembly in Ukraine.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will visit Kyiv on Monday for his first international trip since taking office last month, as Ukraine marks its 35th independence anniversary, according to his office. The visit is intended to signal continued British support as Ukraine battles Russia’s invasion, Agence France-Presse reported.
Burnham also announced that Britain has agreed to allow defence firm MBDA to release classified information on UK components for SCALP, a long-range missile. The purpose, his office said, is to establish local assembly lines in Ukraine.
The statement said SCALP is the French-produced version of the UK’s Storm Shadow, and both use shared French and British technology. It added that releasing the classified information would enable French and Ukrainian teams to move forward with assembling the missile in Ukraine.
Downing Street said the decision complements the UK’s effort to develop low-cost advanced long-range strike weapons for Ukraine through Project Brakestop. It noted that the UK was first to provide Ukraine long-range strike weapons for defensive purposes in 2023.