Britain to mass produce Ukrainian-designed interceptor drones
PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — A view shows new Ukrainian-made drone-missiles Peklo during an exhibition dedicated to the Day of Ukrainian Armed Forces, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine December 6, 2024. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
LONDON -Britain said on Wednesday it would mass produce Ukrainian-designed interceptor drones to help Ukraine counter Russian missiles and one-way attack drones.
The joint project had a target to produce thousands of drones per month, which would each cost less than 10% to make compared to the targets they were designed to intercept, the government said in a statement.
In June, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced a defence co-production initiative.
Earlier on Wednesday, Poland shot down Russian drones that entered its airspace during an overnight attack on Ukraine. Moscow has denied responsibility, with a senior diplomat in Poland saying the drones had come from the direction of Ukraine.
The British government, which had previously committed to increasing drone deliveries to Ukraine tenfold by April 2026, has pledged 4.5 billion pounds ($6.10 billion) in military support to Ukraine this year, its largest commitment to date.
($1 = 0.7377 pounds)
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti, Editing by William James // REUTERS)
