UK hands Storm Shadow blueprints to Ukraine as Kremlin warns of strikes on production sites; 10 POWs return via Belarus

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham used his first foreign visit since taking office to hand over secret blueprints for Storm Shadow cruise missile components to Ukraine, a move the Kremlin immediately denounced as “adding fuel to the flames” and threatened to destroy any production facilities built on Ukrainian soil.

Burnham arrived in Kyiv on 24 August, Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day, and announced that London would declassify technical data on British components for the long-range Storm Shadow/SCALP missile. The decision is intended to help Ukraine and France establish local assembly lines inside Ukraine, according to a statement from the UK government Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow views the move “extremely negatively” and accused London of doing everything possible “to prevent any progress at all in the peace settlement process”. Peskov claimed that the Russian military is already “carrying out the relevant work, obtaining the relevant data to identify the production sites of such missiles and other military equipment, and taking measures to destroy the relevant facilities” Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

Responding to the Kremlin’s accusations, Burnham told journalists in Kyiv: “Who started the fire? That’s the question, isn’t it?” Source: Ukrainska Pravda. The UK prime minister also said London will support Ukraine “100%” against Russia and stand by its side “in its hour of need”, despite threats from Moscow.

The Storm Shadow – known as SCALP in French service – is a long-range cruise missile with a large warhead that Ukraine has used to strike Russian naval ships and command centres since 2023. The transfer of production technology could allow Ukraine to build its own version, potentially reducing reliance on foreign supplies. However, as BBC correspondent Joe Inwood noted, the offer “may not be enough to win the war” given the daily barrage of Russian ballistic missiles Source: BBC News.

Coalition of the Willing meets in Kyiv

Burnham’s visit coincided with a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, a group of partner countries that coordinate military and energy aid to Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after the meeting that Kyiv will receive new military and energy aid packages, with air defence listed as a priority Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced a new aid package for Ukraine and reaffirmed Rome’s commitment to “maintaining maximum pressure on Moscow” Source: Ukrainska Pravda. French President Emmanuel Macron proposed stepping up efforts to counter Russia’s shadow fleet and holding a separate meeting on the issue.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine has asked the Coalition not to take breaks between meetings and to convene again as early as September Source: Ukrainska Pravda. He added that many leaders present are “genuinely sceptical about whether Putin is willing to engage in any negotiations at this point”.

Civilian toll mounts across Ukraine

Russian strikes continued to exact a heavy civilian toll over the Independence Day period. On the morning of 24 August, a Tornado-S multiple-launch rocket system struck the city of Izium in Kharkiv Oblast, killing a 46-year-old man and injuring nine people, including a 13-year-old girl Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

In Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, Russian airstrikes on 24 August injured seven people, among them a 16-year-old boy Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

A 76-year-old woman was killed in the village of Shyroka Balka in Kherson Oblast when Russian forces attacked with artillery and drones on 24 August. Later that day, a Russian UAV hit an apartment in Kherson’s Tsentralnyi district, injuring a 63-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman. An 11-year-old boy was also injured by drone-dropped explosives Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

On 25 August, a man was killed in a Russian drone attack on Kherson’s Dniprovskyi district; his identity is being established Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russian forces attacked the Nikopol district on 24 August, injuring five people – one hospitalised in moderate condition Source: Ukrainska Pravda. A separate strike on the town of Pavlohrad killed one person and injured two others Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

Ground drones reach 100,000 missions in 2026

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence reported that its forces have conducted over 100,000 logistics and evacuation missions using ground robotic systems so far in 2026. The ministry said each mission “represents a potential life saved among Ukrainian service members”. The monthly count has risen steadily from 7,511 in January to 19,969 in July Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

On Independence Day, Ukraine showcased its modern weaponry in central Kyiv, including the Rys Pro and TerMIT ground robotic systems, Magura and Sea Baby naval drones, and Shark and P1-SUN attack UAVs Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

Prisoner swap brings 10 soldiers home

Zelenskyy announced on 24 August that Ukraine brought back 10 soldiers previously listed as missing in action, as part of a special stage of the prisoner exchange conducted through Belarus. The soldiers served in the Armed Forces and National Guard and fought on the Donetsk front Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

Russian losses: 1,450 personnel in one day

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia lost 1,450 soldiers killed and wounded over the past day, along with seven tanks and 74 artillery systems. Total estimated Russian military casualties since February 2022 now stand at approximately 1,480,750 Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

What it means

Burnham’s decision to declassify Storm Shadow technology marks a significant shift in Western support, moving from supplying finished weapons to enabling domestic production. The move comes as Ukraine faces a critical shortage of Patriot air defence interceptors – Zelenskyy confirmed on 25 August that some Patriot missiles had arrived but said “we need more” Source: Ukrainska Pravda. The Coalition of the Willing’s pledge of new aid packages, with air defence as a priority, suggests partners are scrambling to fill the gap left by the US slowdown in deliveries. Yet the Kremlin’s explicit threat to target production sites raises the stakes: any missile assembly line inside Ukraine will become a high-value target for Russian long-range strikes.