Grant Shapps, the UK's defence secretary, called off a scheduled trip to southern Ukraine last week due to "security reasons," as confirmed by the UK defence ministry.
The decision to abort the visit to Odesa came after UK intelligence warned of a potential security threat, with reports suggesting that Russia had become aware of Shapps' travel plans.
The cancellation occurred the day after a missile struck Odesa while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister were present, resulting in the loss of five lives, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Shapps, accompanied by Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and a small British delegation, had traveled overnight by train from Poland to Ukraine. Their objective was to meet with President Zelensky and other key figures in Ukraine's wartime administration.
However, upon their arrival in Kyiv on March 7th, the planned trip to Odesa was abruptly called off, citing concerns for Shapps' safety.
According to reports from the Sunday Times, the decision was made following an intelligence update indicating that the Kremlin was aware of Shapps' itinerary. The missile strike in Odesa the previous day further escalated concerns, prompting the threat level to Shapps' safety to be raised from substantial to critical.
In response to these developments, Shapps expressed strong condemnation of Russian actions, describing President Putin as reckless and ruthless. He emphasized the gravity of the situation, particularly considering the potential threat posed to Western leaders.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson reiterated the decision, stating that Shapps' visit to Ukraine was conducted with the utmost regard for security concerns. The cancellation of the Odesa trip underscores the UK's unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
Earlier reports also revealed that an RAF plane carrying Shapps experienced GPS signal jamming while flying near Russian territory during a journey between the UK and Poland. Photo by Konstantin Brizhnichenko, Wikimedia commons.