British firms to manufacture drones powered by Ukraine’s war-tested tech

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reached a landmark agreement during the Ukrainian president’s visit to Downing Street on June 23. According to the UK government’s official website, the agreement provides for the exchange of frontline technological data with British defense manufacturers.

The British government highlights Ukraine’s global leadership in the development and deployment of drone technology, which evolves approximately every six weeks.

Under the agreement, British defense companies will gain access to Ukraine’s cutting-edge technologies, enabling them to rapidly manufacture large quantities of drones for Ukraine.

This cooperation is expected to bolster both Ukraine’s defense capabilities and support jobs in the UK’s defense sector.

The agreement, set to last three years, is part of the broader 100-year Ukraine–UK partnership signed in January.

The first contracts under the deal are expected to be signed in the coming weeks.

Additionally, the UK will provide up to £280 million in bilateral aid to Ukraine for the 2025–2026 fiscal year, targeting humanitarian relief, energy resilience, and reconstruction programs.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, total British non-military assistance to Ukraine has surpassed £5 billion.

• On June 17, Zelenskyy also announced that Ukraine is working to scale up the production of interceptor drones to counter Russian Shahed-type UAVs.