The FOI request by was Drone Wars UK, I suspect the Observer correspondent is effectively recycling a press release, lazy journalism IMHO.
I neither blame Drone Wars UK for asking nor MoD for politely refusing to answer it, even if it is a deliberate "When did you stop beating your wife?' question. Our armed forces are after all defending a democracy in which opposing views are allowed.
To quote from their website (
https://dronewars.net/role-and-aims/)
Drone Wars UK: Our Mission, Role and Strategic Aims
Drone Wars UK is a small, UK-based, NGO working towards a long-term goal of an international ban on the use of armed drones.
.