Ukraine and the U.K. have signed a license agreement to produce Octopus interceptor drones, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Nov. 27.
“This is a historical precedent and the next important step that will allow the production of Ukrainian interceptors in the United Kingdom, which have proven their effectiveness in the fight against (Russian attack drones),” Shmyhal said in a post on Telegram.
Russian Shahed-type drones, originally designed in Iran and mass-produced in Russia under the name Geran-2, have become a central weapon in Moscow’s strikes against Ukraine.
Kyiv has rapidly developed its drone capabilities since 2022, evolving from modifying commercial aircraft to producing attack drones and reconnaissance systems on a large scale.
The Octopus drone is one of several interceptor drones in development.
“Mass production of interceptors is planned, which may reach several thousand per month,” Shmyhal said, adding: “The manufactured means will be transferred to Ukraine to strengthen the protection of our skies.”
Shmyhal said on Sept. 18 that Kyiv will be able to deploy at least 1,000 interceptor drones daily to repel Russian attacks “in the near future,” without specifying the time range.
