Ukrainian Company Licensed to Produce Octopus Interceptor Drones to Counter Russian UAVs

A Ukrainian defence technology company, Unwave, has been granted a production licence by Ukrainian authorities to manufacture the Octopus interceptor drone, a system developed to engage hostile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). 

The interceptor was created to target low-cost strike drones such as the Iranian-origin Shahed-136/Geran-2 class, which have been widely deployed in recent conflicts. Domestic production under licence marks a transition from prototype and collaborative manufacturing toward scaled domestic output. 

Unwave specialises in electronic warfare and counter-drone solutions and will commence serial production of the Octopusfollowing standard testing and qualification procedures. The project aligns with broader efforts within Ukraine’s defence industry to field cost-effective alternatives to expensive surface-to-air missile interceptors, particularly against proliferating small UAVs. 

The development and production strategy also dovetails with earlier bilateral cooperation, including frameworks under which UK industry intended to manufacture Ukrainian-designed interceptor UAVs to supply Ukraine and allied forces. According to defence analysts, such cross-border production and licensing arrangements are part of supply diversification and burden-sharing in counter-UAS capability development. 

Russian employment of large numbers of low-cost strike drones has underscored the need for scalable interceptor systems, forcing Kyiv and partners to invest in layered short-range defence and unmanned countermeasures. Unwave’s move into licensed production illustrates the integration of private defence developers into state logistics and procurement pipelines.