The UK has agreed to fund joint drone production with Ukraine, according to Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. This comes after a recent drone and missile attack on Kyiv, which was one of Russia’s deadliest attacks against the city. The agreement will enable British defense companies to rapidly design and produce state-of-the-art drones on a large scale. All production will be directed to meet the needs of Ukraine’s Defense Forces, and after the war ends, the UK and Ukraine will share the produced drones between themselves.
This initiative will support the scaling of advanced technologies, increased drone production, and the integration of Ukrainian and British defense industries. Ukraine has rapidly developed its drone capabilities since 2022, evolving from modifying commercial aircraft to producing military UAVs, attack drones, and reconnaissance systems at scale.
The UK will finance the procurement of Ukrainian-designed drones manufactured in the UK, with all production directed to meet the needs of Ukraine’s Defense Forces. After the war ends, the UK and Ukraine will share the produced drones between themselves.
This agreement comes as part of a broader effort by Ukraine to develop its defense capabilities, including the production of new missiles and air defense systems. The UK has also previously agreed to finance the production of air defense systems and long-range weapons in Ukraine.
