Dorozvidka #47: Octopus, Hedgehog, Azhnyuk, Zhumadilov, Krasovsky, and Newmark

In Dorozvidka, Defender Media traditionally compiles the most interesting media publications of the past week, as well as important news that remained outside the editorial radar.

The new issue features three interviews with speakers representing the defence tech ecosystem from different angles. Arsen Zhumadilov heads the Defence Procurement Agency, which supplies the military with everything it needs, including drones. Entrepreneur Yaroslav Azhnyuk is developing two defence startups, one of which has just closed an investment round. Valery Krasovsky, CEO of Sigma Software Group, invests in defence projects, and his IT consulting company recently announced a partnership with British defence giant BAE Systems.

Dorozvidka #47 also includes a column by Brooks Newmark, co-founder of Trypillian, as well as the story behind the creation of the Octopus interceptor drone.

Hedgehog 2025 – the dominance of Ukrainian drone operators

The most discussed topic of the week was the Hedgehog 2025 exercises, during which Ukrainian drone operators reportedly destroyed a composite NATO battle group numbering several thousand troops, including personnel from the United Kingdom and Estonia. The event took place back in May but became widely known only after coverage by The Wall Street Journal.

More than 16,000 troops from 12 countries took part in the manoeuvres, training alongside Ukrainian UAV operators in scenarios simulating a “contested and congested” battlefield. In one episode, a multinational group attempted to launch a mechanised offensive but failed to account for how drones had made the battlefield significantly more transparent. What happened next is described in the WSJ article.

Interview with Defence Procurement Agency head Arsen Zhumadilov

A year ago, Arsen Zhumadilov was appointed head of the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Procurement Agency, Babel reminds readers. Later, he was also put in charge of the State Rear Operator, which became part of the newly unified agency.

In an interview with Kateryna Kobernyk, Zhumadilov spoke about his first personal meeting with the new Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, fibre-optic supply issues, surveillance discovered in his car, and his relationship with the supervisory board, to which Taras Chmut has returned.

Brooks Newmark: how Ukrainian defence tech can attract Western capital

Ekonomichna Pravda published a column by Brooks Newmark, co-founder of Trypillian, titled: “To win a war, you have to think like a businessman.” He writes that governments in Europe and North America are allocating billions of dollars to new technologies, and their venture ecosystems are actively directing capital into defence and technology startups around the world. However, none of these investments are reaching Ukrainian defence companies, despite Ukraine being one of the most dynamic centres of defence innovation globally. This is because Western investors perceive Ukraine as a high-risk zone where long-term investments seem dangerous.

In his article, Newmark seeks to answer why this is happening and how Ukrainian defence tech companies can attract more Western investment. He also explains how Western money actually works and what influences investors’ decisions. Finally, the Trypillian co-founder shares practical advice for Ukrainian founders who aim to attract Western capital and build companies that will remain relevant after the war.

Yaroslav Azhnyuk – interview for New Defense Post

On 16 February, defence startup The Fourth Law, founded by Yaroslav Azhnyuk, announced that it had secured investment from US corporation Axon Enterprise. The day before, the Ukrainian entrepreneur’s interview was published by the European outlet New Defense Post. In it, Azhnyuk talks about his transition from consumer hardware to defence tech and explains why autonomy will define the future of the defence sector, as well as what needs to change for Ukrainian defence technologies to scale across Europe.

The story of Octopus

The DOU portal published an article on the development of the Octopus interceptor drone, which is already being produced under licence by several Ukrainian manufacturers and could become the most widely used “anti-Shahed” weapon.

A year and a half ago, a group of Ukrainian engineers serving in the Armed Forces began working on a specific mathematical problem: how to stop spending $50,000–80,000 FIM-92 Stinger missiles on shooting down much cheaper Shahed drones, the outlet writes. The result was Octopus — a Ukrainian interceptor drone with an average price of $3,000–3,500, with some versions starting from $2,000, according to the development team. The specialists working on the interceptor shared several interesting details in the article.

Valery Krasovsky: “Software can be a digital weapon”

Valery Krasovsky, CEO of Sigma Software Group, gave an interview to Dev.ua in which he spoke about the partnership with British defence giant BAE Systems and about future Ukrainian defence tech “unicorns.” According to him, Ukraine is transforming from a “forge of talent” into a global defence technology hub.

In the interview, Krasovsky analyses cooperation with BAE Systems, explains the importance of Europe’s digital sovereignty, and highlights promising Ukrainian projects that are changing the rules of the game on the battlefield.