Britain and Poland have sealed a landmark agreement to jointly develop missiles and advanced air-defence systems designed to destroy Russian drones.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting announced the deal after travelling to Warsaw on Tuesday for talks with Poland’s defence minister, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.
The two-year partnership will bring the allies into closer military cooperation across the maritime, land, air and cyber domains.
The agreement is intended to reinforce Europe’s defences against an increasingly assertive Russia, which is accused of spreading instability through sabotage operations aimed at subsea communications cables and other critical infrastructure.
“Poland is one of the UK’s closest allies — from flying together in the Battle of Britain to breaking the Enigma code [in the Second World War], it has been a vital defence partner for nearly a century,” Mr Streeting said.
“The new Warsaw Defence plan recognises that longstanding cooperation and sets out how we will continue working together today, building a stronger Europe within a stronger Nato.”
European military commanders are increasingly concerned that Russia is intensifying so-called “hybrid attacks” across the bloc to test Nato’s defences and exert pressure on nations backing Ukraine.
Western intelligence officials have separately warned that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has the “appetite” to expand his sabotage campaign throughout Europe — a strategy some sources fear could pave the way for war by 2030.
Wes Streeting announced the UK-Poland agreement on Tuesday, including plans to develop missiles and air-defence technology capable of bringing down Russian drones
The announcement followed warnings from Western intelligence officials that Vladimir Putin is willing to widen Russia’s sabotage campaign across Europe
Earlier this month, Germany’s military said it faced a “significant” threat from Russian sabotage after raising its assessment to the second-highest level for the first time.
In Britain, Russia is believed to have been responsible for firebomb attacks on two homes and a car linked to former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Moscow has also been accused of orchestrating several drone incursions over British military facilities in 2024. Intelligence analysts said the aircraft may have been launched from sanctioned Russian oil tankers to conduct surveillance of nuclear weapons sites and US airbases.
Russian drones have breached the airspace of other European nations as well. Italian fighter jets were scrambled last month to intercept one of the Kremlin’s aircraft over Lithuania.
Under the Warsaw pact, Britain and Poland will work on next-generation counter-drone systems while deepening cyber-security cooperation to guard against Russian hacking operations.
The two countries will also expand naval exercises in the Baltic Sea to deter Putin’s fleet and exchange expertise on the design and construction of future warships.
The defence agreement was unveiled as battle-tested Ukrainian drones were demonstrated in Britain for the first time on Wednesday.
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The private showcase at the Royal Artillery’s base in Larkhill, Wiltshire, featured several of Ukraine’s leading drone manufacturers.
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The event came as Ukraine warned that its forces were struggling to counter Russia’s latest jet-powered drones, which can exceed 400mph and are consequently more difficult to intercept.
‘We are reaching our technological limits,’ warned Anastasiia Mishkina, the chief executive of TechForce, which represents about 100 Ukrainian defence firms fighting to repel Putin’s invasion.
She appealed to industry partners in the UK to build sophisticated jet propulsion systems for their drones and interceptors and for Ukrainian drone firms to set up factories in Britain.
‘We need to combine the efforts, combine knowledge of our advancements, the funds, our experiences and what our companies are able to produce, at scale, together with the armed forces and make it a success story,’ she added.
Military and industry figures were given live demonstrations of Ukrainian strikes and reconnaissance drones.
During one display, one of the Ukrainian drones was destroyed after it unexpectedly burst into flames while performing high-speed manoeuvres.
In another showcase, a pilot demonstrated for the first time how drones could be controlled in Ukraine and the US from the safety of the UK.
Battle-tested Ukrainian drones were shown off in the UK for the first time on Wednesday
A pilot shows how drones can be controlled in Ukraine and the US from the safety of the UK
Louise Sandher-Jones, the armed forces minister, backed the partnership, insisting that ‘Ukrainian security is British security’.
‘Drones are being developed and upgraded at unprecedented speed. We cannot fail to adapt to this new challenge,’ she added.
‘So, this shared security and mutual prosperity depends on those supply chains working together, collaborating seamlessly, and delivering innovation.’
Earlier this month the UK opened the new Kyiv Business Centre, designed to offer British defence firms a permanent presence in Ukraine to develop new tech.
Britain has vowed to invest £790million over the next four years to improve its integrated air and missile defence to protect against aerial threats.
A further £5billion is being invested to increased the nation’s drone supplies.
