Deadly Kyiv barrage puts missile defence at centre of Streeting's first Ukraine visit

Wes Streeting has held talks on ballistic missile defence and weapons production during his first visit to Kyiv as Defence Secretary.

Mr Streeting met President Volodymyr Zelensky just hours after Russia launched 24 ballistic missiles and 115 drones at the Ukrainian capital and surrounding region.

At least 17 people were killed and dozens injured in the attack, according to Ukrainian authorities.

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Air defences brought down 98 of the drones but failed to intercept any of the missiles, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.

The scale of the attack placed Ukraine's shortage of missile interceptors at the centre of Mr Streeting's talks with the Ukrainian president.

Ukraine received only a third of the number of air-defence missiles in the first half of 2026 that it received during the same period last year, mainly due to the increased demand for interceptors caused by the US-Israeli war with Iran.

The president warned Mr Streeting that Russia was seeking to increase ballistic missile production before winter and asked for UK help in securing scarce defensive equipment.

Speaking to Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, Mr Streeting said the UK was reviewing Ukraine's requirements and would seek greater international support where it could not provide the requested assistance itself.

"We will be with Ukraine until they win," he posted on X. 

The talks also covered sanctions against Russian companies involved in missile production, and the possibility of the UK and Ukraine manufacturing weapons jointly.

The production discussions came a week after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK would transfer the intellectual property behind Stone Cloak, a UK-developed electronic-warfare system, allowing it to be manufactured at scale in Ukraine.

Stone Cloak is a compact electronic warfare device, around the size of a tablet, designed to be mounted on drones, which is thought to disrupt enemy detection capabilities, making it more difficult for opposing forces to identify and track unmanned aircraft.

During the visit, Streeting toured Kyiv's Lukianivska district and laid flowers at the Wall of Remembrance with Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Serhiy Boyev.

The visit was the first by a minister in Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government to Ukraine and followed President Zelensky's trip to the UK last week.

"I am very pleased that you were our Prime Minister's first guest," the Defence Secretary said.

"I know that during your many visits to Britain, you have felt just how deep the support is for your leadership personally and for your people."