British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday for his final overseas trip before stepping down on 20 July, when former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is set to succeed him.
Starmer met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and pledged that Britain's "cast-iron" backing would endure beyond his tenure. He announced the first delivery of 150 domestically produced artillery barrels under a £61 million contract with BAE Systems, manufactured at Sheffield Forgemasters. The UK also confirmed it will join a €90 billion European Union loan to support Ukraine's defence and budgetary needs through 2027.
The visit coincided with renewed Russian strikes targeting Odesa's port infrastructure and Black Sea oil tankers, killing eight people. Overnight attacks on Kyiv caused fires at two warehouses and damage to a school, though Ukrainian forces intercepted five ballistic missiles.