Andy Burnham to Give Zelensky 'Stone Cloak' Tech That Helps Drones Evade Russian Air Defences

Prime Minister Andy Burnham will transfer the intellectual property behind Britain's new 'Stone Cloak' electronic warfare system to Ukraine, allowing Kyiv to manufacture the drone-mounted technology domestically as President Volodymyr Zelensky visits the United Kingdom on Monday.

Zelensky will become the first foreign leader received by Burnham since the Prime Minister entered Downing Street a week ago. The leaders are expected to visit a Royal Navy base, where Burnham will announce the agreement as part of Britain's continuing military support for Ukraine.

The 'Stone Cloak' system is a tablet-sized electronic jammer designed to be fitted to long-range drones. According to Downing Street, it is designed to interfere with Russian air defence systems, making drones more difficult to detect and intercept during operations.

Ukraine to Manufacture Stone Cloak Technology

Thousands of Stone Cloak jammers have already been supplied to Ukrainian forces through previous British military aid packages and, according to British officials, have been tested in combat conditions.

Unlike earlier deliveries, the new agreement marks a shift from supplying finished equipment to enabling Ukraine to manufacture the technology within the country. British officials said domestic production is expected to allow Ukraine to produce the systems more quickly to meet operational demand while reducing reliance on deliveries from overseas. Downing Street said Stone Cloak was developed under the UK-Ukraine 100-year partnership signed in January last year.

British officials said continued operational use of the system in Ukraine would provide valuable battlefield data to support the development of Britain's future long-range strike capabilities. The operational lessons are expected to help inform programmes including Project Brakestop, the Government's initiative to develop low-cost cruise missiles capable of striking targets more than 500 kilometres away.

Announcing the agreement, Burnham said Britain would continue supporting Ukraine and described Stone Cloak as 'the best of homegrown British innovation' that had been 'proven on the frontline'.

He said Britain's support for Ukraine 'remains unwavering' and that the Government would 'not back down until we achieve long-lasting and just peace for Ukraine'.

Leaders to Visit Royal Navy Base

During Monday's visit, the two leaders are expected to inspect a Royal Navy facility and meet more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel and sailors who have spent the past three weeks training in Britain.

The service members have been participating in Exercise Sea Breeze, a multinational maritime security and mine-countermeasure exercise involving 15 countries. The training is intended to prepare Ukrainian forces for future operations in the Black Sea while improving cooperation with allied navies.

According to Downing Street, the UK has committed approximately £25 billion in support for Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, including £16 billion in direct military assistance.

Washington Visit to Follow London Talks

Following the London visit, Zelensky is expected to travel to Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump.

British and Ukrainian officials said technical teams would begin preparations for domestic production of the Stone Cloak system inside Ukraine before the end of the year. The move is expected to allow Ukrainian industry to manufacture the system at scale while providing Britain with operational data to support future defence programmes.

Zelensky is also expected to attend the funeral of former US senator Lindsey Graham, who was a longstanding supporter of military assistance for Ukraine.