Britain announced Thursday a treaty with Ukraine that includes military collaboration, science and technology partnerships, and an effort to track stolen Ukrainian grain.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is visiting Kyiv to sign the pact with Ukrainian leaders.
Starmer is also announcing a new round of lethal military aid for Ukrainian forces, his office said.
“This is not just about the here and now, it is also about an investment in our two countries for the next century, bringing together technology development, scientific advances and cultural exchanges, and harnessing the phenomenal innovation shown by Ukraine in recent years for generations to come,” Starmer said in a statement.
Starmer said Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed to “wrench Ukraine away from its closest partners,” and instead has left Ukraine and its allies “closer than ever.”
The agreement includes cooperation on maritime security in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to deter Russian aggression, Starmer’s office said.
Outside of military collaboration, the two countries will work together on agricultural technology, healthcare and space issues.
Aerial attacks
Ukraine’s military said Thursday that Russian drone attacks caused damage at a farm in the Chernihiv region, while debris from drones destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses damaged houses in Kharkiv and Poltava.
Chernihiv Governor Vyacheslav Chaus said on Telegram the farm damage included a hangar used to store corn, and that there were no casualties from the attack.
Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram his region was targeted by Russian drones, missiles and heavy artillery, killing one person, injuring another and damaging about three dozen homes.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 34 of the 55 total drones Russia launched overnight, Ukraine’s air force said.
Intercepts took place over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Zhytomyr regions.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday its air defenses destroyed 27 Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod, Voronezh, Tambov and Kursk regions.
Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev said on Telegram that a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at an oil depot, but no casualties.
Some information for this story came from Reuters.
