UK to Mass-Produce Interceptor Drones for Ukraine Under New Defense Partnership
The United Kingdom has announced plans to manufacture thousands of advanced interceptor drones for Ukraine each month as part of a landmark defense technology-sharing agreement with Kyiv.
The Gaze reports this, referring to a statement made by the UK government.
The initiative is designed both to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses against Russian strikes and to support jobs and innovation in Britain’s defense sector.
The deal, unveiled by the UK Ministry of Defence on Thursday, marks the first major project under the new framework.
The announcement was made at the DSEI defense exhibition in London, where officials introduced Project OCTOPUS – a cutting-edge air-defense drone co-developed by Ukrainian engineers with support from British scientists.
Unlike traditional missiles, these drones are far cheaper to produce while proving highly effective in neutralizing waves of Russian Shahed-type drones and missiles.
They are designed to intercept and destroy aerial threats quickly before they can reach populated areas or critical infrastructure.
According to the ministry, the drones have already shown success on the battlefield at a fraction of the cost of conventional defense systems.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the partnership reflects both strategic and economic priorities: “By harnessing the strength of our world-class defence industry, we are not only helping Ukraine defend itself against Putin’s barbaric attacks, but we are also creating British jobs, driving growth, and securing our own future. This is all delivering on our Plan for Change.”
The project follows an agreement signed in Kyiv last week by Defence Secretary John Healey, which expanded cooperation between the two countries to include joint development and exchange of defense-related intellectual property.
The arrangement builds on commitments announced by Starmer after his summer meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Officials noted that the new drones will provide Ukraine with a vital tool against the kind of large-scale Russian assaults that recently forced Poland and NATO forces to intercept hostile drones entering Polish airspace.
The announcement also comes just days after a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (“Ramstein format”) in London, where Healey confirmed Britain’s plans to fund the production of long-range drones for Ukraine on UK territory.
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