Senior Japanese politician visits Kyiv to study battlefield drone tech

Japan is increasingly tapping into Ukraine’s war experience against Russia as a valuable source of intelligence on military technologies that could strengthen its defensive and offensive capabilities.

A visit to Kyiv this week by senior ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker and former Japanese defence minister Itsunori Onodera demonstrates this interest, analysts say, against the backdrop of Tokyo’s mounting regional security concerns.

Onodera arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday to meet local officials, including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Ukraine is ready to develop mutually beneficial cooperation with Japan, drawing on our experience and capabilities, and to identify areas in which our countries can strengthen each other’s security,” Sybiha said.