Ukraine and the United Kingdom begin joint production of Octopus interceptor drones. The initial pilot batch, consisting of up to 1,000 drones, will be built in the UK at state-owned facilities. The Octopus drone will become the first Ukrainian combat drone to be serially produced in a NATO country, with Ukraine retaining full intellectual property and technological control. Combat deployment of the drones will take place in Ukraine after testing.
This comes amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, as Russia continues to escalate its daily explosive Shahed drone attacks on Ukrainian rear cities. Ukraine is deploying all available means to counter the threat, including domestically developed interceptor drones. Earlier, the country's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that intercepting 800 Russian Shaheds would require 1,600 interceptors, while Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine would be able to use at least 1,000 interceptor drones per day to defend against Russian attacks.
Britain to build, Ukraine to control and deploy
On 25 October during a live television appearance and later on Facebook, Rustem Umierov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, announced the plan. He confirmed that both software and hardware used in the drones belong to Ukraine. He emphasized that this is a state-level project carried out by the defense ministries of both countries. The technology is classified as sensitive, and Ukraine will maintain control over all critical components, according to Liga.
The official added that the production scale would eventually increase to meet Ukraine’s operational requirements, though the final target figure was not disclosed. The UK will manufacture the first drones in its government facilities, and following successful testing, they will be deployed for combat use in Ukraine.
Agreement signed under defense cooperation framework
According to Ukrinform, the agreement was signed in London within the framework of the Build with Ukraine program. It involved direct collaboration between the defense ministries of both countries. Umierov stated that the Octopus will become the first Ukrainian combat drone to be mass-produced in a NATO country.
In September, the British government had already announced the upcoming agreement, which would cover the joint development and production of advanced military equipment. It also confirmed plans to produce thousands of Octopus drones each month for transfer to Ukraine. The agreement includes technology-sharing provisions expected to create defense-sector jobs in Britain and improve security for both nations.
President Zelenskyy demonstrated the Octopus drone to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on 24 October and confirmed the agreement for the first batch of production, as reported by RBC Ukraine.
Octopus to anchor drone-based NATO air defense
In September, Militarnyi reported that the Octopus drones will form the foundation of a European “drone wall” intended to defend against Russian drone and aircraft incursions. British Defense Secretary John Healey told The Telegraph that these Ukrainian-designed drones have already proven effective against Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones and are significantly cheaper than foreign equivalents — costing less than one-tenth as much.
The Octopus system is expected to be deployed along NATO borders to deter Russian aerial intrusions. There are also plans to use the drones in missile defense operations protecting military infrastructure and strategic facilities in the UK.
Earlier in September, Ukrainian drone manufacturer Ukrspecsystems revealed an approximately $250 million investment to build a new production facility in Mildenhall, UK.
