The company has selected sites in Mildenhall and Elmsett for the £200 million investment, which is expected to create up to 500 jobs in the region and across the wider UK supply chain. The UK has previously ordered more than 80 SHARK and Mini-SHARK drones from Ukrspecsystems’ facilities in Ukraine to support operations against Russian forces.
The new factory was formally opened by Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard, reaffirming the UK’s continued support for Ukraine. Since July 2024, the UK has committed more than £1 billion to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences, helping to counter Russian drone attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure.
“Our resolve to support Ukraine is stronger than ever, and we are backing Ukraine’s defiant Armed Forces as they fight for peace,” said Luke Pollard MP. “Ukrspecsystems’ new factory is a vote of confidence in UK support and underlines the deepening cooperation between our nations’ defence industries. This investment will create up to 500 new jobs in the East of England, drive defence as an engine for growth, and help Ukraine defend itself against Putin’s aggression.”
Founded in 2014, Ukrspecsystems produces a range of drones, including the PD-2 and SHARK-M surveillance systems, which communicate autonomously with strike drones to identify, track and destroy Russian targets. According to the Ministry of Defence, the company’s drones have contributed to almost $3 billion of damage to Russia’s war machine since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Separately, the UK has begun producing Octopus interceptor drones, with plans to increase output to thousands per month. These systems are designed to intercept Russian Shaheed drones and other weapons at a lower cost, forming part of the Ministry of Defence’s £4.5 billion military support package.
The opening of the Suffolk facility is presented as part of the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership, aimed at strengthening long-term defence and industrial cooperation. It follows the announcement of a new business centre in Kyiv to support British defence companies and innovators working with Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK General Valerii Zaluzhnyi said: “This factory represents more than industrial cooperation – it is part of a new European security architecture built on shared responsibility and shared production. Ukraine brings battlefield experience and innovation, and together with the United Kingdom we are strengthening the capabilities needed to deter aggression.”
Director of Ukrspecsystems UK Rory Chamberlain added: “Four years on from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, this factory delivers what matters: secure supply, secure resource, and sustained support for Ukraine. By establishing production in the UK, Ukrspecsystems are increasing the resilience of the UK’s defence industrial base, and providing a trusted supply chain that ensures that the drones relied upon by the Ukrainian Armed Forces can be built and scaled without interruption.”
“Delivered with UK and Ukrainian Government support and in partnership with British SMEs, this is ‘Made with Ukraine’ in action – embodying the UK-Ukraine 100-Year Partnership through real industrial capability, happening now in East Anglia,” he said. The Ministry of Defence stated that the investment aligns with the UK’s Defence Industrial Strategy and the Strategic Defence Review, aimed at supporting economic growth while reinforcing backing for Ukraine.
