Ukraine offers Japan cooperation in drone technology
Photo: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (Getty Images)
Ukraine is ready to cooperate with Japan on drones and unmanned systems and share the experience it has gained during the full-scale war with Russia, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in an interview with Kyodo News.
"Ukraine is ready to share with Japan our experience gained on the battlefield," Sybiha said.
He added that Kyiv is open to cooperation depending on Japan's level of readiness.
Earlier, sources said that Japan is considering adopting Ukrainian drones that were developed and improved during the war. According to them, the possibility of signing a bilateral agreement is also being discussed.
At the same time, the Japanese government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is working to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities. This comes amid growing security risks that Tokyo describes as the most serious since the end of World War II.
According to sources, discussions on drone cooperation began after an appeal from the Ukrainian side. Ukraine has previously reached similar agreements with Persian Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, which are also interested in countering drone threats.
Possible meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Japan
Sybiha also noted that Kyiv is "very interested in high-level, top-level dialogue." In particular, he referred to a possible meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Japan’s prime minister during the G7 Summit in June in France.
In addition, the minister said he plans to visit Japan in the second half of the year.
Japan is already using lessons from the war in Ukraine to develop its own drones. The country has created a low-cost drone called ACM-01 Shiraha, which costs about $450 and is designed for mass production.
After analyzing combat operations in Ukraine, Japanese engineers concluded that modern warfare requires large numbers of simple and affordable drones that can be quickly replaced.
