Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham at a naval base in England on Monday. This visit marks the first by a foreign leader since Burnham took office a week ago. Burnham, who takes over from Keir Starmer, intends to demonstrate the UK’s firm support for Ukraine during this meeting.
Prime Minister Burnham, with limited foreign policy experience despite his nine-year tenure as mayor of Greater Manchester, will be the fifth British leader to engage with Zelenskyy since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Burnham stated, “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.”
The meeting will also involve over 200 Ukrainian military personnel who have been participating in exercises in Britain. These exercises aim to bolster their war-fighting capabilities and enhance countermine measures in the Black Sea. The UK government confirmed the transfer of the “Stone Cloak” electronic warfare system’s intellectual property to Ukraine. This system aids in preventing drone detection.
Ukraine has intensified its campaign inside Russia, using drone attacks to target oil facilities, military factories, and logistical centers. Despite the pressures on President Vladimir Putin, Russia continues its aerial campaign with regular missile and drone strikes on Ukraine.
Recently, a fire at a shopping complex in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, followed Russian attacks. One person was killed and two injured in attacks on residential areas, according to regional administration head Ivan Fedorov. In Nikopol, Russian strikes damaged a kindergarten and injured a woman and a child.
In response to the Ukrainian drone offensive, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported downing 276 drones overnight. In a separate incident in Rostov-on-Don, a Ukrainian drone attack resulted in casualties.
Moreover, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reported a Ukrainian strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, which resulted in the death of a sailor. Araghchi condemned the action, calling it a violation of the U.N. Charter and suggested it was influenced by Israel. He communicated with the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about this incident.
President Zelenskyy praised Ukraine’s long-range strikes over the weekend, noting significant success. Targets included vessels transporting military cargo related to Iran and a warship.