Japan weighs new deal with Kyiv for Ukrainian-made drones, Japanese media reports
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Tokyo is considering signing an arms transfer agreement to acquire Ukrainian-made drones from Kyiv, as Japan seeks to strengthen its drone defense capabilities, Kyodo News reported on March 14.
Sources familiar with the matter told Kyodo News that Tokyo is eyeing a bilateral deal with Kyiv as one potential option for bolstering the island nation's defenses — with Israeli-made drones also under consideration.
The Kyiv Independent cannot immediately verify the reports. Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on the prospects of an agreement.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv has tightly controlled its export of weaponry during wartime. In November 2025, President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed a shift in Kyiv's wartime in an effort to internationalize Ukraine's arms production in partner countries, as Kyiv drone production capacity outpaces its financing.
A diplomatic source told Kyodo News that Kyiv initially approached Japanese officials about a proposed agreement.
Ukraine's defense sector — and its drone industry in particular — has exploded since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. More than 200 drone companies have emerged, many producing cheap, adaptable systems that have reshaped modern warfare.
Amid the global rise in drone warfare, Japan's 2026 fiscal budget allocated 100 billion yen ($629 million) for drone defense systems, the Japan Times reported.
Although Japan's post-World War II constitution restricts the provision of lethal military aid to foreign countries, Tokyo remains one of the top supporters of Ukraine, with around $15 billion worth of total aid (mostly financial and humanitarian) sent and another $3.5 billion committed, according to a December 2025 report by OSW.
Over the past few weeks, Kyiv’s prospects as a key player in global drone manufacturing have strengthened amid the the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. As Western allies rush to the aid of Middle Eastern countries under attack by Tehran's attack drones, Kyiv has offered to share its experience in countering cheap long-range UAVs.
