UK opens Kyiv business centre to speed up defence supplies to Ukraine

The UK has said that it will open a Ukraine Business Centre in Kyiv later this year to help British defence start-ups supply more military equipment to Ukraine.

Source: Bloomberg

Details: The business centre is designed to help small and medium-sized UK firms overcome hurdles linked to operating in Ukraine, including travel restrictions, security and insurance requirements, finding premises and navigating export procedures.

The centre's priority will be to accelerate sales of air defence systems and drones.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey says the new hub will "supercharge the role British industry plays in sustaining Ukraine's defences".

The launch of Ukraine Business Centre is timed to mark the first anniversary of the 100 Year Partnership between the UK and Ukraine, an agreement published on the website of Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) says.

The centre will be funded by the UK government but the amount of funding has not been disclosed.

Background: The two sides also plan mass production of Octopus drone interceptors to counter Russian Shahed-type drones used in attacks on Ukraine's civilian and energy infrastructure.

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