UK to study Ukraine's drone countermeasures for use against smuggling in prisons

Olha Kovalchuk, Alona Mazurenko - 16 January, 19:00

A drone. Stock photo: Ukraine’s Air Force Command

The United Kingdom is seeking to adopt Ukraine's experience in countering drones in order to apply it against unmanned aerial vehicles delivering weapons and drugs to British prisons.

Source: Sky News, as reported by European Pravda

Details: UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has arrived in Ukraine to see how technologies used to shoot down Russian drones could be applied in British prisons.

"I've tasked British prisons with learning from Ukraine's drone expertise. We know prison drones pose a direct threat to national security and that's why we're acting decisively to tackle these gangs by investing millions in security and cutting-edge technology," Lammy said.

Over the past five years, the number of drone-related incidents in British prisons has increased by 1,140%. In the autumn, Sky News journalists documented drones delivering packages containing drugs to HMP Wandsworth, a men's prison in south London.

The United Kingdom has provided assistance to increase the supply of drones to Ukraine, allocating £350 million in 2025. Of this amount, £6.5 million is earmarked for research and development of drones, as well as new technologies that will enable British prison staff to better detect and bring down drones.

Background:

On 16 January, a UK delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy, arrived in Kyiv.
On 9 September 2025, UK Defence Secretary John Healey announced plans for London to finance the production of long-range drones for Ukraine on the territory of the United Kingdom.

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