UK's Burnham pledges new drone tech to Ukraine in Zelensky meeting

The two leaders met on Monday at the Portsmouth naval base in southern England, speaking on the dockside before boarding the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.

"We are with Ukraine 100 percent. I am personally with you 100 percent, Mr President," Burnham told Zelensky after the pair, dressed in similar dark casual clothing, shook hands beside the ship.

Zelensky thanked the new prime minister for what he called an "important signal of support" and said he had invited him to visit Ukraine. The two leaders had already spoken by telephone within hours of Burnham taking office.

Burnham promised to honour every commitment previously made by Britain to Ukraine and announced that London would share details of a new electronic jamming capability known as "Stone Cloak".

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The tablet-sized, military-grade devices can be fitted to Ukrainian drones to make it harder for Russian air defence systems to track and target them during flight.

"We are providing new, home-grown jamming technology to protect Ukrainian drones," Burnham said. "It will help them to hit their targets and help save Ukrainian lives. It also shows the kind of innovation our industries can deliver together."

Zelensky later said the electronic warfare technology would "certainly be useful on the battlefield" and thanked Britain for the decision. Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham walks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky as they take part in a welcoming ceremony, during their visit to HM Naval Base in Portsmouth on the south coast of England on 27 July 2026.

New frontline technology

The technology has been tested in combat conditions and could now be produced on a larger scale inside Ukraine. Britain also plans to incorporate it into a future generation of its own long range strike systems.

"Stone Cloak is the best of home grown British innovation and proven on the frontline," Burnham said. "It will be vital to protecting our security in both our countries."

The announcement comes as Russia and Ukraine intensify their use of drones and missiles. More than 390 Ukrainian drones targeted the Moscow region overnight into Tuesday, according to the Russian capital's mayor, while Russian forces have continued large scale attacks on Ukrainian cities and ports.

Burnham and Zelensky also discussed expanding joint defence production, particularly in drone and electronic warfare technology.

Britain says its total support for Ukraine since Russia launched its full scale invasion in February 2022 has reached over €29 billion, including almost €19 billion in direct military assistance.

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Zelensky heads to Washington

The Portsmouth meeting came on the eve of Zelensky's latest attempt to secure US President Donald Trump's support, with the Ukrainian president due at the White House at 9.30am local time on Tuesday.

"We are preparing for a meeting with the president of the United States and his team," Zelensky said, adding that he hoped Washington would "continue to support Ukraine" and help secure "a dignified peace".

Relations between Zelensky and Trump have often been difficult. Their exchanges have ranged from a televised Oval Office argument in February 2025 to warmer encounters in recent months.

During their latest meeting in Turkey earlier in July, Trump praised Zelensky for doing "an amazing job" and indicated that Ukraine could be allowed to manufacture US designed Patriot air defence systems, which Kyiv urgently needs to counter Russian missile attacks.

Trump has largely ended direct US weapons deliveries to Kyiv since returning to power in January 2025, instead supporting a system under which European countries buy American equipment before transferring it to Ukraine.

The United States nevertheless remains a crucial ally, supplying intelligence and access to the Starlink satellite network used by Ukrainian troops.

Diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled, however, largely because of disagreements over Ukrainian territory occupied or claimed by Russia. US attention has also been diverted by the war in the Middle East.

(with newswires)