Deal with Tokyo against Beijing’s monopoly: how Ukrainian miltech is seeking independence for thousands of drones
Drone Industry
Ukrainian drone production could grind to a halt in a single second. The main "Achilles’ heel" of Ukraine’s defence industry is that more than 90% of batteries for domestically produced UAVs and electronic warfare (EW) systems still come directly from China, Pawell Battery points out.
To free Ukrainian drones from Chinese control, the Pawell Battery team is heading to Tokyo for CEATEC 2026, Asia’s leading technology exhibition, which brings together hundreds of thousands of professionals and global giants such as Toyota, Sony and Panasonic. The Ukrainians are travelling to Tokyo to build a technological alliance with Japan. The result of this mission will be drones that fly farther, do not explode when hit by bullets or fragments, and no longer depend on decisions made in Beijing.
Escaping the "Chinese trap": why 90% of Ukrainian drones are at risk
Ukraine’s market for autonomous systems and EW has become the world’s leading testing ground for technologies in real time. But this technological revolution has a weak point: more than 90% of the basic battery cells for Ukrainian UAVs are imported from a single country — China.
"This creates a critical vulnerability. A single signature or a new export restriction in Beijing could instantly put Ukrainian drone production on hold," Pawell Battery stresses.
The Lviv-based engineering team at PAWELL Battery is already working to address this problem. Previously, their battery developments helped Ukrainian UAVs increase their flight range from 30 km to 197 km into the enemy’s rear. This means that a drone costing around $500 can now destroy enemy equipment worth tens of millions of dollars. Their goal now is to give Ukrainian developers an independent, uninterrupted supply of battery cells. The battery is, after all, the "heart" of any drone: its reliability and energy density directly determine the drone’s manoeuvrability, speed, flight range and resilience in difficult weather conditions.
A Japanese shield for Ukrainian UAVs: batteries that do not catch fire when hit by bullets
With this mission in mind, the Pawell Battery team is representing Ukraine on October 15–20 at CEATEC 2026 in Tokyo, Asia’s leading technology exhibition. It is a platform where global giants such as Toyota, Sony and Panasonic shape the future of energy and transport.
Japan once created the world’s first rechargeable lithium battery and today possesses the technology of the future — solid-state batteries.
What will this mean for Ukrainian drones?
- They do not explode when hit. Unlike conventional batteries, a solid-state battery does not catch fire even if penetrated by a bullet or fragment. For UAVs, this means the drone will not burn up in mid-air at the first instance of damage, preserving expensive equipment or optics.
- They last for years. These cells are designed to operate for more than 10 years and withstand extreme temperatures, which is critical during prolonged missions in difficult conditions.
"Japanese philosophy is about monozukuri (excellence in craftsmanship), kaizen (continuous improvement) and full traceability of every component. The war has forced the Ukrainian market to develop at a frantic pace and accomplish in weeks what takes years elsewhere in the world. If we combine our adaptability with Japan’s systematic approach, we will get energy solutions that are competitive both on the front line and in the global market," says Pavlo Yesyp, co-founder of Pawell Battery.
A Japanese-Ukrainian alliance: Pawell Battery builds independence from Chinese imports
The main goal of Pawell’s trip to Tokyo is to build an entirely new, secure battery cell supply chain for Ukraine’s entire UAV and EW industry. And in these negotiations, Ukraine has a bargaining chip that no global corporation possesses.
"China has shown the world what scale and low cost mean. Japan offers something entirely different — technological depth and absolute reliability. But we have something they cannot replicate in any laboratory in the world: experience in testing technologies under the harshest conditions. We offer Japanese businesses real-time testing of their developments. This is a mutually beneficial partnership: they receive unique data to improve their cells, while we get reliable batteries, a way out of dependence on Chinese imports, and energy for systems operating over hundreds of kilometres," says Pavlo Yesyp.
Instead of taking part in the conventional exhibition format with stands, the Lviv engineers will hold a series of closed-door B2B meetings with Japanese component developers and leading technology associations. If agreements are reached, Ukrainian manufacturers of UAVs and specialised equipment will be among the first in the world to gain access to next-generation batteries.
