This cross-posted article was produced in collaboration with The Counteroffensive, our sister publication, which covers Ukraine through human-centered stories. Our regular reported newsletters will resume next week.
If you're interested in thoughtful, in-depth stories that explain what's happening in Ukraine, check out The Counteroffensive.
The Arsenal offers consulting and custom research services. Need talented experts on the ground to answer a due diligence or business question? We’ve got you covered! Email us here!
Deep inside the concrete jungle of the Ukrainian city, technology is developing that could defend not just Ukrainian plains, but also Japanese ocean cliffs.
Oleksii Oleksiuk, CEO of Ukrainian drone company UkrDefense, never thought that an advanced country such as Japan would be interested in his drone interceptors. The war in Ukraine, however, is pushing modern warfare into the next gear.
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force personnel take part in the Fuji Firepower Exercise at the East Fuji Training Area in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, on June 7, 2026. Photo by David Mareuil/Anadolu via Getty Images.
For decades, Japan has relied on U.S. support and pacifist status as a cornerstone of its security. But that sense of stability is now shaken.
While many European countries expelled Russian spies after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Japan expelled only 8 Russian officials. Russia used that free access to bolster its intelligence presence in Tokyo, making it a spy ‘paradise’ for Moscow, the New York Times recently reported.
Apart from that, the United States, whose military power and presence have guaranteed Japan’s security since WWII, is proving to be an unreliable ally under Donald Trump. China has transformed itself into a powerhouse, systematically building up its military and receiving intelligence, training and modern technology from Russia, while increasingly viewing Japan as a foe. So now, Japan is turning to Ukraine — a country with one of the biggest areas of expertise in modern warfare — to help rearm itself.
According to The Telegraph, China has been quietly preparing for war, building replicas of Taiwanese military bases and American aircraft carriers. While there is no immediate threat for Japan, the government is preparing for an altercation with China for the disputed Senkaku Islands, in which Ukrainian unmanned technology might compensate for Japan's lack of manpower, just like in the case of Ukraine.
This turn of events suggests that the post-WWII order is becoming more and more irrelevant, as even pacifist countries are now seeking ways to renew militarization.
“The Japanese look at all of this [drone warfare] and conclude that they need to draw lessons from Ukraine's experience and choose the systems and tactics that will best protect their own country,” said 34-year-old Oleksii Oleksiuk.
Packed in a cramped office space, a small team of engineers is working around the clock to manufacture the ‘GAARPIA’ (Ground-to-Air Anti-Reconnaissance Planes Interceptor Aircraft) — a drone interceptor that is cheap and easy to produce on a large scale, made from composite materials.
These drones are designed to effectively intercept almost every drone in the Russian arsenal — from reconnaissance drones like SuperCam or Orlan-10 to Shahed-type strike drones. For Japan, investment into this technology is a chance to observe and learn how to counter their own adversary, should a conflict arise.
Oleksii Oleksiuk in his office. Photo by The Counteroffensive.
“We work with different military units. They have requests, and we have to satisfy them, meaning to change the control frequency or video, or set the numbers,” Oleksii said. His focus, and the space his company is most experienced in, is ‘wings’ drones of all types — strike drones, loitering munitions, and interceptors.
Oleksii’s office is small and the furnishings are spartan, but what catches attention almost immediately is a small library, consisting of books on a wide variety of topics, from war and history to business and marriage. “Reading is essential because it's the only way to train our most important weapon — our minds,” he said.
And this is how he approaches the business. On his bookshelves are also Stoic philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius.
“His writings are really about how people govern themselves and build states. Human behavior, people's motivations, and the fundamentals of leadership haven't really changed,” Oleksii said.
Oleksii’s office library. Photo by The Counteroffensive.
Oleksii started UkrDefense in 2023 with the idea of producing effective unmanned warfare systems. At the time, there were almost no interceptor drones produced domestically in Ukraine, and those available were too expensive, he said. So Oleksii and his team decided to make a budget alternative, nicknamed ‘Khrush’. From there, the business grew.
Being born in Donbas region of Ukraine, Oleksii was still in university when Russian-backed separatists occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in 2014. Straight away, Oleksii wanted to fight for Ukraine, joining the newly formed Azov battalion and spending two years in the assault forces. That experience helped him in 2022, when he enlisted again, fighting for different military units, including artillery and engineering support. After 2023, however, Oleksii concentrated on developing weapons, rather than using them on the frontline.
“Personally, I found my place. I understand that my military experience and management skills help to produce effective means that save boys’ lives on the frontline and help shoot down drones,” Oleksii said.
Oleksii Oleksiuk in the UkrDefense factory. Photo by The Counteroffensive.
Recently, the main office of UkrDefence got damaged as a result of another Russian attack on Ukraine. Fortunately, Oleksii and his team are safe. Right now, they are rebuilding with the aim to continue developing and producing drones.
UkrDefense, like many other Ukrainian military start-ups, needed foreign investment to develop its future. Therefore, Oleksii was actively searching for investors abroad. And to his surprise, one country seemed uniquely interested in Ukrainian military technology: Japan.
Oleksii had long found inspiration in Japanese culture, far before his business partnerships. He identified with the Japanese emphasis on precision, conscientiousness, and hard work, as he felt he shared these qualities. “It would have been very difficult for me to imagine we'd end up cooperating with Japan or being invited there,” Oleksii said.
Japan is feeling tension amongst its neighbors getting higher, with China preparing for a potential blockade — or invasion — of Taiwan. Just recently, as part of a joint Chinese-Russian military exercise, a Chinese warship for the first time conducted live fire drills in Japanese economic waters.
In this heightened moment, both the Japanese government and private sectors are looking for ways to increase the country's defense capabilities. Companies like ‘Terra Drones’ are increasing their involvement with Ukrainian military startups. For private companies in Japan, it is a chance to invest in Ukrainian military technology and bring battle-tested equipment home.
The Japanese venture fund, literally called ‘Defense Tech’ in English, is one of those private companies. It is partnered with multiple Ukrainian military tech companies, UkrDefense included.
“[CEO Teppei Sakano] is looking for young companies working on UAVs, robotic systems, maritime systems, positioning technologies, beacons, various types of equipment, and technical training for combat units — technologies that can help Japan build a more capable and effective defense,” Oleksii said.
A GAARPIA drone interceptor, produced by UkrDefense . Photo provided by Oleksii Oleksiuk.
According to Oleksii, these partnerships for Japanese are not just investment strategies, but also strategic cooperations. For example, Defense Tech is helping UkrDefense with the software for their drone interceptors. “On their shoulders is the soft part, the question of code,” explained Oleksii.
Japan was looking to increase its defense capabilities before 2022. The pivotal year was 2015, when the Japanese Ministry of Defense established the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) to run research and development in the military sector.
Since then, a standalone defense startup sector has emerged in Japan, supported by the Japanese government — its MoD introduced a ‘Fast-Track’ program aimed at accelerating cooperation between defense authorities and the industry.
While Japan is trying to address its defense capabilities by seeking the latest in Ukrainian drone technology, the effort would be useless if Japan’s enemies could easily operate inside its borders. And, with the almost nonexistent anti-espionage legislation, that is exactly what is happening in Tokyo.
James D.J. Brown is a political science and international affairs professor at Temple University in Tokyo, specializing in Japan-Russia relations.
“Currently, a priority for Russian intelligence officers is to organize the transfer of components from Japan, via third countries, to Russia for use in military drones,” Professor Brown told The Counteroffensive.
To counter the continuous espionage threat from foreign countries, the Japanese government is pushing for an intelligence reform, seeking to establish the National Intelligence Council (NIC) and National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) as the nation's main intelligence bodies. The primary aim of the reform is to tackle the foreign espionage threats from Russia, China and North Korea, as well as for Japan to collect its own intelligence, rather than relying on the U.S.
According to Professor Brown, there are also plans for changes to permit more communication intercepts and to create an External Intelligence Agency (Analogue of British MI6) within the next few years.
Oleksii is watching history repeat itself. “Japan fought the Russo-Japanese War over a century ago, and Japan won, so there are historical parallels. And once again, it brings us back to the same conclusion: you have to be strong and independent because no one but ourselves will protect us,” Oleksii said.
He is also very adamant that there will be a military conflict in Asia. “I think China will invade Taiwan. It is prepared for it and has been preparing for a long time,” he said.
The cooperation between Ukraine and Japan reaches a lot deeper than the military technology sector. While diplomatic relations were always cordial, the assistance greatly expanded in 2022. Japan is providing vehicles for the Ukrainian military, medical equipment, as well as assistance in the energy sector.
Prototype of an interceptor drone developed by Ukrainian company Amazing Drones at a joint press conference with Japanese corporation Terra Drone in Kyiv on March 31, 2026. Photo by Viktor Fridshon/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images.
“For Ukraine, this is the right moment to consolidate and expand our technologies, our expertise, and the experience of our soldiers, so that Ukraine becomes a geopolitical player,” Oleksii said.
Today, his priority is still Ukraine and its defense. Within that worldview, he is ready to partner with anyone — including extraterrestrial life forms.
“Even if Martians arrived and wanted to help defend us, we'd work with them, provided it aligned with Ukraine's national security interests.”
Correction: In our first published version of the article, we misrepresented the timeframe of United States military assistance to Japan. It has been going on for decades. We apologize for the mistake.
Interested in sponsoring The Arsenal?
In over a year, we’ve accumulated more than 4,100 subscribers focused on Ukrainian battlefield innovation. This includes Western primes, defense companies, allied governments, and Ukrainian startups. Want your messaging to target this highly-sought-after demographic?
