The UK government is looking to Ukraine’s wartime experience to tackle the growing threat of drones smuggling drugs and weapons into British prisons.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy disclosed this during a visit to Ukraine, marking a century-long security partnership between both countries.
Lammy said British prison authorities have been tasked with learning from Ukraine’s advanced anti-drone measures, developed in response to Russian military attacks.
According to him, drones used over prisons pose a serious threat to national security, prompting increased investment in modern security systems and cutting-edge technology.
Official figures show that between April 2024 and March 2025, there were 1,712 drone-related incidents across prisons in England and Wales, representing a 43% increase from the previous year. Since 2021, drone activity around prisons has surged by more than 1,100%.
The scale of the problem was highlighted last autumn when journalists observed drones delivering packages of drugs into HMP Wandsworth in south London. Security experts have also warned that large agricultural drones, capable of lifting heavy loads, could eventually be misused to facilitate prison escapes.
The UK has been supporting Ukraine’s drone capabilities, providing £350m in 2025 to help increase production from 10,000 drones in 2024 to 100,000 by the end of last year.
Officials believe lessons from this expertise could help protect UK prisons from increasingly sophisticated criminal operations.
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