Burnham is jetting to Kyiv ‘to hand over missile blueprints’ as Russians rage at UK drone raids

Andy Burnham will today visit Kyiv to show support for Ukraine after Russia threatened Britain following raids using UK drones.

The Prime Minister will take part in independence day celebrations and accept an award recognising the UK’s support.

It follows the Kremlin warning of ‘consequences’ over UK drones being used by Ukraine to strike far into Russia. 

Moscow said the deeper Britain became involved, ‘the higher price it will pay’.

Mr Burnham said: ‘On Ukraine’s 35th anniversary of independence, its people should be in no doubt: The UK is behind you.

‘In the fight and the rebuilding to come, we stand with Ukraine. Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve. We will not back down till there is a lasting peace.’ 

But Russia said relations with Britain are at ‘an unprecedentedly low level’ as it ordered its ambassador Andrey Kelin back to Moscow after seven years in post.

Mr Kelin has accused the UK of choosing ‘a path of confrontation’ with Russia. 

Burnham arriving in Kyiv and meeting with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister on Monday morning

The Kremlin has not yet put forward a replacement candidate, raising questions about whether Russia is seeking to downgrade its diplomatic relations with the UK. 

Moscow added that Britain seeks to escalate the crisis ‘while hypocritically professing a desire for peace’.

The use of British drones crossed a diplomatic red line for the Kremlin and Russian interests in the UK will be the responsibility of its charge d’affaires, Vasily Tsyganov. 

Russia maintains an embassy in London’s Kensington. 

On Monday, Mr Burnham will chair his first meeting of the so-called coalition of the willing, set up by the UK and France to support Ukraine under his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer. 

The Government has agreed to allow defence firm MBDA to release classified information on UK components for the long-range Scalp missile – the French-produced version of the UK’s Storm Shadow.

Both missiles use shared French and British technology, and Ukraine and France are looking to set up local assembly lines for Scalp missiles in Ukraine.

Mr Burnham said: ‘The friendship between our two countries will long outlast Russia’s illegal war. In both the fight and in the rebuilding to come, we will stand with Ukraine and deliver opportunities for people across both our countries.

‘Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve. We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace.’

Mr Burnham welcomed President Volodymyr Zelensky to the UK during his first weeks in office.

At Independence Day events, he will accept an award on behalf of the British people recognising the UK’s support.