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Ukrainian Drone Maker Ukrspecsystems to Invest $250M in New UK Factory and Test Site
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![Photo of Roman Kohanets]( "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
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Ukrainian defense company Ukrspecsystems has announced plans to establish a major production site in the United Kingdom, investing $250 million over the next three years in a new factory at Mildenhall and a drone testing and training center in Elmsett, Suffolk, according to Norwich Evening News on September 8.
Ukrspecsystems produces eight types of drones for both military and civilian use, widely employed in Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 full scale invasion. The new facility will cover 11,000 square meters and is scheduled to begin production in 2026, according to the company’s UK managing director, Rory Chamberlain.
“Ukrspecsystems is proud to be the first Ukrainian company to commit to a funded plan to invest in infrastructure, jobs and skills in the UK,” he said.
The project is expected to create hundreds of jobs and apprenticeships, providing potential opportunities for employees at Lotus Cars in Hethel, where 550 redundancies were recently announced.
Local authorities welcomed the development. Fabian Eagle, Norfolk County Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said it demonstrated the region’s engineering potential and could help redeploy skilled automotive workers.
South Norfolk Council leader Daniel Elmer added that the councils had prepared a support package for Lotus staff, including financial assistance, retraining programs, and business start-up support.
Earlier, it was reported that Ukrainian defense companies will establish production facilities in Denmark as part of a broader strategy—known as “Build with Ukraine”—aimed at exporting defense technology abroad and integrating Ukraine within Europe’s security industrial base.
