Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has held discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart on cooperation relating to counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities; whether he has considered the deployment of Ukrainian counter-UAV (a) expertise and (b) interceptor drone systems to support the protection of UK (i) military bases and (ii) critical national infrastructure; and whether he has assessed the potential merits of interceptor drones as an alternative to missile-based air defence systems for countering Iranian-designed UAV threats.

Russia’s illegal invasion has resulted in Ukraine becoming a world leader in drone and electronic warfare technology. The Secretary of State for Defence has regular discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart on this issue and is delighted that on the 17 March 2026 the UK signed an enhanced security and defence industrial declaration, which will strengthen collaboration between Ukrainian and British defence companies in these crucial sectors.