Andy Burnham has arrived in Kyiv to honour Ukraine’s Independence Day, just hours after at least three people were killed in a Russian attack on the outskirts of Kharkiv. It is the first overseas visit for the British prime minister, more than a month after entering Downing Street, and it comes as Kyiv and Moscow continued to exchange devastating attacks overnight. He is set to announce that Britain has agreed to allow European missile manufacturer MBDA to release classified information on UK-made components used in the SCALP long-range cruise missile, according to his office.
"Ukraine's security is our security," Burnham said in a statement, adding that Britain would stand by Ukraine "for as long as it takes". In Kharkiv, emergency services have rescued and evacuated eight people, some of whom were injured, governor Oleh Syniehubov said, adding the search was ongoing to identify any other possible casualties. Meanwhile, two people were killed and two more injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on the Russian border region of Belgorod, local authorities said.
Ukrainian also hit another online retailer, setting fire to Ozon's logistics hub in Makhachkala in the Russian republic of Dagestan. Kyiv has repeatedly targeted facilities belonging to Russia's largest online shop Wildberries, accusing it of providing logistics support to Vladimir Putin's armed forces. Ozon said it also paused operations at two warehouses in the nearby regions of Stavropol and Adygeya in the North Caucasus amid a drone attack alert.
Earlier, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Putin intends to draft 300,000 new troops to join the war from next month in a bid to seize territory. Zelensky said that the Russian leader would start the drive after elections in September, as Moscow pursues its main goal of capturing the rest of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. The European Commission has unveiled a further £5.2 billion in aid for Ukraine - for new defence systems, such as air defence, missiles, ammunition and radars to repel the worsening Russian attacks.
This latest aid package comes on top of £13.6 billion of previously approved procurement plans, of which £7 billion had already been disbursed, the EU said. "As Russia intensifies its attacks, we are stepping up to help Ukraine protect its people and defend its skies. Europe stands with Ukraine and we will deliver what it needs, when it needs it," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a statement.
The SCALP missile is the French-manufactured version of the prized British Storm Shadow. It is a long-range, air-launched cruise missile, designed to hit high‑value fixed or fortified targets with precision and low observability. It has a strike capability of over 155 miles , which means that it would potentially allow Ukraine to attack targets deeper into Russian territory.
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