The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
The latest version of the Ukrainian Octopus interceptor drone was demonstrated to a British delegation led by UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported this on January 20.
During the event, the Ukrainian side emphasized the urgent need for interceptor drones to protect Ukrainian airspace.
The Octopus drone was developed within the Armed Forces of Ukraine and is equipped with an AI-based control system. It is designed to counter Shahed-type UAVs, and its effectiveness has been proven in combat.
Close cooperation between manufacturers and the military enables continuous improvement of the technology. Drone production is being deployed in both Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
The transfer of technology for Octopus production at British facilities became possible due to reforms in the Ministry of Defense’s intellectual property sector. In particular, in May 2025, a dedicated Intellectual Property Office was established within the Ministry.
Its experts ensured legal compliance during the licensing agreement with the UK government, including:
- legal protection of the technology in Ukraine;
- filing an international patent application;
- legal support of the licensing agreement with the UK Ministry of Defence.
In November 2025, the Ministries of Defense of Ukraine and the United Kingdom signed a licensing agreement for the Octopus interceptor drone, opening the way for its production in the UK.
Production volumes may reach several thousand drones per month, all of which will be transferred to Ukraine to strengthen air defense.
“This is the first time the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has concluded such an agreement regarding technologies owned by the state. This precedent opens new opportunities for Ukraine in bilateral exchange of defense technologies with partner countries”, — the Ministry noted.
