Ukrainian company Ukrspetssystems, which produces thousands of drones per month for the frontline, has not yet launched a production site in the UK. The reason was the refusal of Ukrainian regulators to grant permission for technology transfer abroad.
Ukrainian company Ukrspetssystems, which produces thousands of drones per month for the frontline, has not yet launched a production site in the UK. The reason was the refusal of Ukrainian regulators to grant permission for technology transfer abroad.
This was announced by the company’s director Dmitry Khasapov and his deputy Andriy Rymaruk in an interview with the Oboronka publication.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the company has scaled up many times. Previously, the staff numbered 150 people and the volume was 50 UAVs per year, but now the production employs thousands of specialists, who produce thousands of drones every month.
«We have to be the Apple of drones. Our goal is to be a mass market for the Armed Forces. To do this, we have to be the largest. Because if you are the largest, then your product cost decreases,» Ukrspecsystems noted.
The company also reported that the launch of the site in the UK, which was solemnly announced by the Ambassador of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny in the winter of 2026. The company has prepared premises and workplaces, but regulators — the State Export Control Service (DSEC) and the Interdepartmental Commission for Military-Technical Policy and Export Control (MKVTS) — are refusing permission to export technologies. The motivation for the refusals is that «the product is used for the needs of the Defense Forces.» According to management, investments in the British site amounted to significantly less than $100,000, and the premises are currently idle.
At the same time, about 90% of Ukrspetssystems' business remains in Ukraine, where the main investments in product modernization and capacity expansion are directed. The company also operates a production site in Poland, where it produces goods under the permit system or those that do not require special approvals. The management of Ukrspetssystems called on the state to build a transparent mechanism for financing, contracting, and exports so that Ukrainian companies do not need to build parts of their business abroad.
It was previously reported that the bulk of Ukrspecsystems UK’s R&D will remain in Ukraine, but separate engineering teams will work in the UK. As the company explains, this is necessary to adapt products to NATO standards and create joint solutions.
