Japanese drone firm backs Ukrainian interceptors, sparking Russian protest
Terra Drone Corp., led by Toru Tokushige, invested in Ukrainian interceptor drone maker Amazing Drones and unveiled a prototype that downed a Shahed-type UAV, prompting a formal complaint from Russia.
After six years in Silicon Valley and founding Terra Drone in 2016, Toru Tokushige turned to Ukraine in 2025, seeking a market beyond Japan’s slow-moving defense procurement. He acquired a controlling stake in Amazing Drones, a Kharkiv-based firm that builds interceptor drones capable of shooting down hostile UAVs. The collaboration yielded the Terra A1, a short-range rocket-type interceptor that successfully engaged a Shahed-type drone on April 28, a feat shown in a YouTube video.
Russia’s foreign ministry condemned the investment as an openly hostile gesture, while Japan’s ambassador in Moscow protested the complaint. Terra Drone also announced a partnership with WinnyLab to create the faster Terra A2 and won a rapid procurement contract from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force for its Terra B1 model, marking an unusually swift move from trial to mass production in Japan’s defense sector.
Why it matters
The deal shows Japan’s private sector entering the Ukraine war’s drone market and heightens tensions with Russia.
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