Ukraine and the UK plan joint production of interceptor drones under the Octopus project

Ukraine and the United Kingdom will launch joint production of interceptor drones to counter mass attacks by Shahed-type kamikaze drones. The announcement was made by UK Defence Secretary Luke Pollard, as cited by Bloomberg. According to Pollard, the project, codenamed Octopus, could be implemented in the coming months.

The British minister said there were plans to rapidly establish production of around 2,000 drones per month. They will be manufactured in the UK, with all units supplied to Ukraine for intercepting Shaheds/Gerans.

The minister also said that the UK plans other projects with Ukraine, including the production of glide bombs, but both parties are starting with drones.

The announcement comes amid large-scale Russian drone attacks on Ukraine. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Russia launched nearly 6,900 drones against Ukraine in September, more than half of which were Shaheds.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said this week that Ukraine could reach a defence production capacity worth $35 billion by 2026, though this would require substantial financing. Kyiv is urging its partners to provide technological and financial support, establish joint ventures, and make direct purchases for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Earlier, Defender Media reported on new developments in interceptor drones by Ukrainian manufacturers.