British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday (August 24, 2026) that the U.K. will help Ukraine make its own long-range missiles by sharing classified technical information for British components.
Mr. Measuring 5.1 metres, the missile is hard to detect and is designed to hit fixed or stationary targets such as hardened bunkers and key infrastructure, according to MBDA. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday (August 23, 2026) that his country is receiving substantially fewer of those missiles, even as Russian ballistic attacks are increasing.
Because the United States and European partners are struggling to expand production, the shortfall is particularly serious.
Burnham, who was in Kyiv alongside other international leaders for Ukraine’s Independence Day, said defence firm MBDA will release details on U.K.-made parts for the SCALP missile to Ukraine to help the country assemble the weapons. The defence firm says the missile uses an advanced navigation system and is exceptionally accurate. Douglas Barrie, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that while the U.K.’s decision to share classified information was notable, much depends on the pace at which local assembly can be established. “Any impact … will in part depend on how quickly Ukrainian-assembled SCALP cruise missiles can be introduced into service,” he said.
