Volodymyr Zelensky and bosses from British defence giant BAE Systems have discussed setting up an arms factory in Ukraine as he seeks to build up Kyiv’s arsenal of weapons.
Ukraine’s president highlighted the discussions - which included possible “localised production” of weapons in the country - in his overnight address as his military forces are on the brink of launching a major counter-offensive against Vladimir Putin’s army.
Mr Zelensky said: “I spoke with representatives of the powerful British defence company BAE Systems. This is a truly large-scale weapons manufacturer – the weapons that we need now and that we will need in the future to ensure the security of our country and the entire region.”
He added: “We are working to create an appropriate base for production and repair in Ukraine. We are talking about a wide range of weapons: from tanks to artillery.
“We will provide Ukraine, and thus the whole of Europe, with this new foundation of strength.”
Britain has led the West in arming Ukraine against Putin’s war, first by providing NLAW anti-tank weapons, and then being the first to commit to supply tanks, with Challenger IIs being sent.
Mr Zelensky said on his Telegram social media feed: “We discussed the localisation of production in Ukraine. We agreed to start work on opening a BAE Systems office in Ukraine, and subsequently repair and production facilities for the company’s products.
“We are ready to become a major regional hub for the repair and production of various types of products of BAE Systems and are interested in making our relations more global.”
Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems chief executive, said: “It was a privilege to speak with President Zelensky as part of ongoing discussions about the support we’re providing to Ukraine.
“We’re proud to be working with our government customers to provide equipment, training and support services to the Ukrainian armed forces. We’re also exploring how we could support the Ukrainian government as it revitalises the country’s defence industrial base to ensure their long-term security.”
It comes as UK defence chiefs on Wednesday said they believed Russia’s intensified aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities including Kyiv in recent weeks has had “little success”.
Putin’s forces have launched near nightly drone and missile attacks on Ukraine throughout May.
In its latest intelligence update, the UK Ministry of Defence said: “During May 2023, Russia has launched 20 nights of one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicle and cruise missile attacks deep inside Ukraine.
“Russia has had little success in its likely aims of neutralising Ukraine’s improvised air defences and destroying Ukrainian counter-attack forces.”
The UK also said Russia has “increasingly ceded the initiative” in the war to Ukraine since the start of the month.
On Wednesday, Russian officials said a Ukrainian drone sparked a fire at an oil refinery in southern Russia.
The governor of Russia’s southern Krasnodar region said a drone was the likely cause of a fire that broke out at the Afipsky oil refinery.
Russian officials also said shelling hit a Russian town close to the border for the third time in a week, damaging buildings and vehicles and injuring four people=.
A day after Russia has accused Ukraine of being behind a drone attack on Moscow, Ukrainian artillery was said to have struck the Russian town of Shebekino about four miles north of the border with Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
Two people were hospitalised and the shelling smashed windows and damaged roofs of an eight-storey apartment building, four homes, a school and other places, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on the Telegram messaging app.
