Japan Considering Possibility of Purchasing Ukrainian Drones

The Japanese government is considering the possibility of purchasing Ukrainian-made attack drones to strengthen its defense capabilities.

Kyodo News reported on this, citing its own sources.

One option for implementing the plan is to sign a bilateral arms transfer agreement that includes provisions for protecting classified information, the sources said.

The idea emerged after Ukraine itself proposed such cooperation to Japan, a diplomatic source told the media outlet. Ukrainian drones are noted for their long flight range and resistance to electronic warfare.

Although purchasing drones from Israel is also being considered, the Japanese government appears to believe that acquiring drones from Ukraine would be less controversial amid widespread international criticism of Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip.

“Although Japan has little experience in the field of drones, Ukraine has repeatedly improved its systems in a short time based on real combat experience, which has made them very effective,” a representative of the Japanese Ministry of Defense stated.

In the draft budget for the 2026 fiscal year, which begins in April, the Ministry allocated JPY 277.3 billion ($1.7 billion) to strengthen defense capabilities with unmanned systems.

In particular, Japan plans to develop the concept of Synchronized, Hybrid, Integrated and Enhanced Littoral Defense (SHIELD) to counter potential attacks on remote islands. The plan includes the purchase of a large number of drones, including strike and reconnaissance systems.

The Japanese government is also moving to relax rules on the transfer of defense equipment, possibly as early as April, to allow the export of lethal weapons in principle.

A proposal from the ruling coalition, submitted earlier this month to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, outlines allowing weapons transfers if an agreement on defense equipment transfers is signed and granting Ukraine exceptional status in view of Japan’s national security needs.

In February, it was announced that Ukraine was ready to cooperate with Japan in the defense sector, including sharing technologies for naval drones and UAV interceptors. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared this in an interview with Kyodo News. According to him, deeper cooperation in this area could become a historic step for both countries.

Zelensky noted that Japan is among the countries with licensed production and domestic manufacturing of missiles and air defense systems capable of countering ballistic threats. Ukraine would therefore be interested in joint production or technology exchange.