UForce to open UK drone boat factories as UK sanctions Russian oil
Ukrainian drone company UForce has announced plans to set up new factories in the UK, creating hundreds of highly skilled jobs and 60 apprenticeships. The announcement was made on board HMS Prince of Wales, according to the government.
More than 70% of the content of each UK-built drone boat will come from British suppliers. The government described this as a sign of the strength of the defence industry relationship between the UK and Ukraine.
Part of the UK-Ukraine partnership
The jobs form part of the 100-Year UK-Ukraine partnership, under which the UK says it has sanctioned Russian revenue streams and supplied Ukraine with lethal aid. The government said some of that support will now pay dividends at home. No investment figure, factory locations or timetable were given.
New sanctions on Russian energy
The announcement coincided with the European Political Community summit in Dublin, where Prime Minister Andy Burnham is meeting leaders from around 50 countries. The UK has sanctioned Slavneft, making it the first country to have sanctioned all ten of Russia's top oil producers.
The package also covers:
- shadow fleet vessels involved in transporting Russian oil and LNG
- major coal companies
- Rosneft's flagship Arctic oil and gas project, LLC Vostok Oil
The government said the measures target nearly every part of the oil and gas revenue chain, including producers, trading networks, supply chains and vessels.
Summit agenda
The Prime Minister is due to co-chair a small group meeting on Ukraine with President Zelenskyy, following peace talks in Abu Dhabi. He is expected to press for legally binding security guarantees for Ukraine and back calls for a full and immediate ceasefire.
He will also co-chair a defence and security roundtable with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, focused on Europe's response to threats, particularly in the hybrid space.
Source: GOV.UK factory · Image: Pixabay