Japan eyeing introduction of Ukraine-made drones for defense

The Japanese government is considering introducing Ukraine-made attack drones to bolster its defense capabilities, banking on the Eastern European country's combat experience, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday, Report informs via Kyodo News.

The signing of a bilateral arms transfer agreement to safeguard secrets is one option for facilitating the move, the sources said, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy eager to exchange his country's defense technology for weapons provided by Japan, which restricts arms transfers under its war-renouncing Constitution.

The idea comes after Ukraine sounded Japan out about it, a diplomatic source said.

While purchasing drones from Israel is also an option, the Japanese government apparently believes that sourcing the unmanned aerial vehicles from Ukraine would be less controversial, amid widespread international criticism of the Israeli military's actions in the Gaza Strip.

Ukrainian drones are known for their long-range capabilities and resistance to jamming.

"While Japan has little expertise in drones, Ukraine has repeatedly upgraded theirs over a short period of time based on real battlefield experience, making them highly capable," a Japanese Defense Ministry source said.