Zelenskyy Becomes First Foreign Leader to Visit UK Since Burnham Took Office, PM Pledges 'Unwavering' Support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Britain on Monday for talks with newly elected UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, marking the first visit by a foreign leader since Burnham assumed office last week. The meeting comes at a critical stage in the Russia-Ukraine war, with both nations seeking to strengthen military cooperation amid escalating battlefield tensions.

Burnham said the visit reflects Britain's "unwavering" support for Ukraine and reaffirmed that London would continue standing with Kyiv until a lasting and just peace is achieved.

During the visit, the two leaders were scheduled to meet more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel currently undergoing specialised training in Britain. The programme focuses on improving combat readiness and strengthening countermine operations in the Black Sea, an area that has become increasingly significant in the ongoing conflict.

In a major defence announcement, the UK said it would transfer the intellectual property behind its newly developed "Stone Cloak" electronic warfare system to Ukraine. The technology is designed to make drones significantly harder to detect, providing Kyiv with an additional advantage as drone warfare becomes central to the conflict.

The diplomatic engagement comes as both sides continue exchanging large-scale drone attacks. Ukraine has intensified long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory, targeting military factories, logistics hubs and energy infrastructure in an effort to disrupt Moscow's war capabilities.

Meanwhile, Russia launched 147 long-range drones overnight against Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Air Force, which said 123 drones were intercepted or electronically jammed. Fresh Russian strikes killed one person in Zaporizhzhia and injured several others, including a six-year-old boy in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Russia claimed its air defences destroyed 276 Ukrainian drones overnight. Authorities said a drone strike on an apartment building in Rostov-on-Don killed two people, while another attack in Belgorod injured 12 people, including two children.

The conflict also took a wider international dimension after Iran accused Ukraine of attacking an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, killing a sailor. Tehran condemned the strike and warned that it would not go unanswered. Zelenskyy later said Ukraine's long-range operations had successfully targeted vessels allegedly transporting military cargo linked to Iran, along with a warship.

Burnham's meeting with Zelenskyy is expected to set the tone for Britain's Ukraine policy under its new leadership, signalling continued military and diplomatic support despite the conflict entering another intense phase.