Zelenskyy meets Burnham as UK unveils Stone Cloak support

Ukrainian leader visits Britain ahead of Trump meet as London pledges electronic warfare technology

London: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met British Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the Portsmouth naval base on Monday as the UK pledged fresh military support, including the intellectual property behind its new Stone Cloak electronic warfare system designed to jam Russian air defences and help protect drones.

The visit, Burnham’s first by a foreign leader since taking office last week, comes ahead of Zelenskyy’s scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington. The two leaders also met more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel undergoing training in Britain to strengthen mine-countermeasure operations in the Black Sea. “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,” Burnham said.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged overnight drone attacks, with Kyiv saying Russia launched 147 drones, 123 of which were intercepted or jammed. Russian strikes killed two people and damaged homes and infrastructure in Ukraine, while Moscow said it shot down 276 Ukrainian drones. 

Ukrainian attacks killed five people in Rostov-on-Don, injured 12 in Belgorod, and struck an export terminal, military logistics sites and fuel depots. Romania also reported a Russian drone briefly entered its airspace for the fourth time in as many days.

—Agencies