UK pledges new drone-jamming technology to Ukraine in first face-to-face meeting with Zelensky

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged new drone-jamming technology to Ukraine during his first face-to-face meeting with a foreign leader since taking office, underlining Britain's continued military backing for Kyiv. 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, as reported by RFI. Zelensky thanked the new prime minister for what he called an "important signal of support" and said he had invited him to visit Ukraine.

Coverage comparison

RFI reported that Burnham pledged new drone-jamming technology, while TASS added that Britain will hand over the intellectual property behind its Stone Cloak electronic warfare system to Ukraine, enabling it to produce the technology at scale. Both outlets agreed on the core facts of the meeting and the technology transfer.

Key claims

  • British Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged new drone-jamming technology to Ukraine during his meeting with President Zelensky, as reported by RFI.
  • The technology, known as Stone Cloak, can be fitted to Ukrainian drones to make it harder for Russian air defence systems to track and target them during flight, according to RFI.
  • Britain will hand over the intellectual property behind its Stone Cloak electronic warfare system to Ukraine, enabling Ukraine to produce the technology at scale, as reported by TASS.
  • The British Defense Ministry has already supplied thousands of the jammers to the Ukrainian military, according to both RFI and TASS.
  • Britain's total support for Ukraine since the Russian invasion has reached over €29 billion, including almost €19 billion in direct military assistance, as reported by RFI.

Perspectives

Ukraine: President Zelensky thanked Burnham for the "important signal of support" and said the electronic warfare technology would "certainly be useful on the battlefield." He also invited Burnham to visit Ukraine.

United Kingdom: Prime Minister Burnham said, "We are providing new, home-grown jamming technology to protect Ukrainian drones. 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." He promised to honour every commitment previously made by Britain to Ukraine.