- Ukraine has granted Britain access to its Avengers AI database during Burnham's Kyiv visit
- The Avengers platform tracks military assets using thousands of battlefield cameras and sensors
- UK and Ukraine will collaborate on AI sensors for military base protection and low-power AI chips
Ukraine has given Britain access to its "Avengers" AI database, which contains important information collected during the war with Russia.
The UK is the first country outside Ukraine to get access to the database, according to The Independent. The agreement was announced during Prime Minister Andy Burnham's visit to Kyiv on Monday.
The "Avengers" platform collects information from thousands of cameras and sensors used across the Ukrainian battlefield. It tracks objects such as tanks, artillery systems, air defence equipment, soldiers and drones, including Shahed drones and reconnaissance UAVs.
The data is sent to the Avengers Lab, where it is used to train new AI models. Britain is expected to use the technology to learn from Ukraine's experience in the war with Russia and develop new AI-based security systems.
The first UK-Ukraine project will focus on using AI sensors to improve protection around military bases. The two countries will also work on low-power AI chips. These could be used in machines that need to operate for longer periods and in difficult conditions.
British officials said the technology could eventually be used beyond defence. It could help protect airports, prisons, railway systems and energy facilities.
During his visit to Kyiv, Burnham said Britain would continue to support Ukraine despite threats from Russia. "This is the moment to keep up the pressure on Russia, the moment to squeeze their ability to fund this illegal war," The Telegraph quoted him as saying.
He compared Ukraine's fight against Russia with Britain's role in defending Europe during World War II.
"My nation kept the flame of European freedom alive in the 20th century; you hold that flame in the 21st," Burnham said while comparing Ukraine's resistance to Russia with the UK's fight with Nazi Germany. He also called for more interceptor missiles to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian attacks.
The UK also agreed to declassify blueprints for British-made parts used in the French-made Scalp missile. The missile, similar to the Storm Shadow, has been used by Ukraine against targets in Russia.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, has accused Britain of taking steps that could make the war worse, according to The Telegraph. "Britain is methodically and regularly adding fuel to the fire and methodically and regularly plotting to prevent any progress in the peace process," he said.
