Overview
- Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy announced the plan in Kyiv after meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the first anniversary of the UK–Ukraine 100‑Year Partnership.
- UK Research and Innovation is adding £6.5 million to accelerate prison-focused detection and drone neutralisation technologies.
- The Ministry of Justice, with UK Defence Innovation and UKRI, will stage competitions inviting British and Ukrainian firms to deliver counter‑drone solutions.
- Official data record 1,712 prison drone incidents in England and Wales in April 2024 to March 2025, with the government warning that organised crime is using drones to smuggle drugs, weapons and phones.
- The drive includes a previously announced £40 million security boost with anti-drone measures such as exterior netting and reinforced windows, and follows the UK’s £350 million support for Ukraine’s drone capability in 2025.