The UK wants to learn from Ukraine’s war time experience to tackle the threat of drones carrying weapons and drugs into British prisons, the deputy prime minister has said on a trip to the country.
David Lammy has been in Ukraine to see how anti-drone measures used against Russian forces can be applied to UK prisons, as part of a trip to mark a one hundred year security partnership between the two nations.
“I’ve tasked British prisons with learning from Ukraine’s drone expertise,” he said.
“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.”
There were 1,712 drone incidents in prisons across England and Wales between April 2024 and March 2025, a 43% rise on the previous 12 months, and a new peak.
Since 2021, drone incidents over prisons are up 1140%.
In the Autumn, Sky News witnessed drones delivering packages of drugs into HMP Wandsworth, a Category B men’s prison in South London.
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Experts have previously warned that larger drones used in agriculture and capable of lifting 80kg, could in the future be used to lift inmates out of jails.
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The UK has provided assistance, giving £350m in 2025 to help bolster Ukraine’s supply of drones from a target of 10,000 in 2024 to 100,000 by the end of December last year.
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Ministers say they’ve secured £6.5m of investment money from UK Research and Innovation to help speed up drone research and developments. A package of £40m had previously been announced.
The money will be used to invest in new technology to allow prison staff to better detect and bring down drones.
