More than 85,000 military drones have been delivered by the UK to Ukraine in just six months this year by accelerating production from British companies and supporting jobs in both countries, the Defence Secretary will confirm in Brussels today as he co-hosts with Germany the latest meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.
It comes as Defence Secretary John Healey confirms, for the first time, that £600 million has been invested by the UK this year to accelerate drone delivery for Ukraine’s Armed Forces, including tens of thousands of short-range first-person view (FPV) drones that are crucial to supporting Ukraine’s front line.
These drones are being used for precision strikes, reconnaissance, and disrupting Russian activity behind the frontlines, countering Russia’s own attempts at massed drone tactics.
The Defence Secretary will say to allies that we need to “ramp up drone production to outmatch Putin’s escalation” following increased drone strikes in Ukraine and dangerous incursions into Europe.
National security is the foundation of this Government’s Plan for Change, and the UK is stepping up on Euro-Atlantic security, underpinned by the historic increase to defence spending to 2.6% of GDP from 2027.
Last month in Kyiv, the Defence Secretary and his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal signed a first-of-its-kind industrial partnership through which the UK is jointly developing an inceptor drone already been used by Ukraine to protect civilians and critical infrastructure from Russian drones.
New data from the Ukrainian battlefield is now being implemented to help mass produce the Octopus interceptor, with a target to provide thousands of new-improved interceptor drones back into Ukraine each month.
Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said:
Putin’s dangerous escalation in Ukraine and across Europe must be matched by ramping up our drone production and strengthening NATO’s air defences.
The UK is stepping up our support to Ukraine by delivering over 85,000 drones in the last six months and signing new industrial partnerships to rapidly develop thousands of new interceptor drones to shoot down Putin’s attacks. This is growing jobs in both the UK and Ukraine.
I am also extending the UK’s commitment to NATO’s Eastern Sentry air policing mission to the end of the year to continue to deter Putin from further testing the Alliance.
The Defence Secretary will also attend a meeting of NATO’s Defence Ministers, where he is expected to confirm the extension of the Royal Air Force’s contribution to NATO’s Eastern Sentry mission to the end of 2025. British Typhoon fighter jets have been taking part in defensive flights over Polish airspace following dangerous Russian drone incursions.
An upcoming deployment of British military counter-drone experts to Moldova will also be confirmed, where they will help train Moldova’s armed forces in counter drone tactics.
In total, the UK has spent £600 million this year on military drones for Ukraine – drawn from the record £4.5 billion commitment by the government this year to support Ukraine’s defence. This includes logistical drones for transporting equipment to the frontline, one-way attack drones, as well as surveillance and reconnaissance drones.
Significant amounts of this spend is with UK companies, supporting hundreds of specialist jobs around the country from suppliers including Tekever, Windracer, and Malloy.
The Drone Capability Coalition, which the UK co-leads with Latvia, is also using funding from a range of nations to procure advanced drone-interceptors to help Ukraine counter the threat of the Iranian-designed Shahed one-way attack drones.
Interceptors are being tested on the battlefield right now, with the Drone Capability Coalition expected to award new contracts very soon to provide Ukraine with further kit, including around 35,000 new interceptor systems in the coming months.
Both the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary have been clear that the UK’s national security – the foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change – starts in Ukraine.
