In Kyiv, the latest version of the Ukrainian Octopus drone-interceptor was demonstrated to a British delegation led by UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy. During the event, the Ukrainian side emphasized the urgent need for interceptors to secure Ukrainian airspace.
The Octopus drone was developed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and is equipped with an AI-based control system. It is designed to counter drones such as Shahed, and its effectiveness has been confirmed in combat. Collaboration between manufacturers and the military allows constant improvement of the technology and creates a highly efficient R&D ecosystem. Production of the drone is being deployed in both Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
The transfer of Octopus manufacturing technology to British facilities became possible thanks to reforms in the Ministry of Defense’s intellectual property framework.
In particular, in May 2025, the Ministry established a dedicated Intellectual Property Office. Its experts ensured compliance with legal requirements during the signing of the licensing agreement with the UK government, including:
- legal protection of the technology in Ukraine;
- filing an international patent application for the invention;
- overseeing the licensing agreement with the UK Ministry of Defense.
In November 2025, delegations from the Ukrainian and UK Ministries of Defense signed a licensing agreement for the Octopus drone-interceptor, opening the way for its production in the UK. Production volumes could reach several thousand drones per month, with the completed units supplied to Ukraine to strengthen air defense.
This is the first agreement by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense regarding technologies owned by the state. This precedent opens new opportunities for Ukraine for bilateral exchange of defense technologies with partner countries.
