The first Ukrainian defense factory is starting operations in the United Kingdom – a production facility of Ukrspecsystems, a company that manufactures drones, Ambassador Valerii Zaluzhnyi reported.
He reminded that Ukraine continues to face constant missile strikes, infrastructure destruction, and threats to domestic manufacturing. Nevertheless, Ukrainian engineers are developing solutions that improve systems based on real combat experience. For this reason, launching production in the UK carries deep strategic significance, Zaluzhnyi emphasized.
“This is not a shift of the center of gravity away from Ukraine. It is an expansion of our joint capabilities and the creation of a second resilience loop that ensures uninterrupted production,” the ambassador said.
The engineering expertise center will remain in Ukraine, while manufacturing will be integrated into the UK defense ecosystem.
According to Zaluzhnyi, this will create a new level of partnership and form a shared industrial security base. The project carries strategic and even “civilizational” significance.
“For Ukraine, this project means stability and the ability for long-term planning. For the United Kingdom, it strengthens its own defense industry, provides access to technologies proven in modern warfare, and creates jobs. It is an example of how combat experience can be quickly integrated into industrial solutions and national security,” the diplomat emphasized.
