Brit running Ukraine drone factory calls for UK Government funds after MP visit
Richard Woodruff has been volunteering in Lviv since June 2022.
A British volunteer who runs a drone factory in Ukraine is appealing to the UK Government for funding after a visit from a group of cross-party MPs.
Richard Woodruff, from East Sussex, who has been based in Lviv in western Ukraine since June 2022, says his kamikaze drones have destroyed more than 100 million US dollars (£79 million) worth of Russian equipment in the last year.
Crowdfunded by private donations from across the world, the seven to 10-inch first person view (FPV) drones are armed with explosives and are used to carry out targeted attacks on Russian military equipment and supplies.
The 31-year-old, who helped establish the volunteer-run drone factory more than a year ago, said he was encouraged by a visit from a group of cross-party MPs who travelled to Lviv over the weekend.
Mr Woodruff said the 14 MPs, including representatives from Labour, the Scottish National Party (SNP), the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, pledged to lobby for backing from the UK Government to support the factory’s drone production efforts.
“They seemed very keen on the idea of trying to find help and support in the UK, especially in the Government, for the factory, which is awesome,” Mr Woodruff told the PA news agency from Lviv.
“We signed a flag for them and they said altogether that they would stand up in Parliament with it, saying there are operations on the ground that need help that are not getting the support needed.”
Stephen Gethins, the SNP’s Europe spokesman, was among the group of MPs visiting Mr Woodruff’s factory in Lviv.
Mr Gethins, who visited the country to mark the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion, said he was impressed with the work of the team of volunteers.
“Richard and the rest of the team are doing absolutely astonishing and innovative work to help support Ukraine during this most difficult period,” Mr Gethins told PA.
“Ukraine is an astonishing country, and a country that is utterly determined to defend itself and to protect its citizens from this appalling act of aggression, and work like that of Richard and his colleagues is a really important part of that.”
Mr Woodruff’s organisation, Front Line Kit, has supplied the Ukrainian army’s Achilles drone battalion with thousands of drones.
A new report from the UK defence think tank, the Royal United Services Institute, has said that tactical drones are inflicting roughly two-thirds of Russian losses.
Mr Woodruff emphasised the potential of drones to significantly impact the war effort at a fraction of the cost of traditional weapons.
“We had a £250 drone hit a 25 million dollar (19.7 million) Russian air defence system. That’s a 100,000-times return on investment,” he said.
“We need the Government to pull their finger out and realise the most effective way in which we can help in this war is by supporting what we’re doing.”
Mr Woodruff, who has no plans to leave Ukraine after the war, hopes the visit by MPs will be followed by one from a military adviser from the Ministry of Defence.
Defence Secretary John Healey said: “The UK will spend £4.5 billion on military aid for Ukraine this year, more than ever before.
“We will also provide an additional £150 million of new firepower, drones, tanks, air-to-air missiles.
“More broadly, this Government continues to step up our leadership on Ukraine and in Nato.
“The UK offers unique capabilities to the Nato alliance: forward land forces, fifth-generation fighter jets, our nuclear deterrence – our UK commitment to Nato is unshakable.”
