Dorozvidka #48: Darkstar, DevDroid, Defence Builder, Group 12, Frontline, interceptor drones, Japan

In Dorozvidka, Defender Media traditionally rounds up the most noteworthy media publications of the past week, as well as important news that fell outside our editorial radar.

In Issue 48:

• Podcasts featuring representatives of DevDroid, Frontline Robotics, and Darkstar;
• An interview by Mariia Berlinska with Group 12 head Vasyl Dubovyi;
• An interview with Defence Builder CEO Line Rindvig;
• Volodymyr Zelensky on defence cooperation with Japan;
• Deputy Commander of Unmanned Air Defence Systems Yurii Cherevashenko on interceptor drones.

Podcast featuring Frontline Robotics and Darkstar

Frontline Robotics co-founder Oleksii Markhovskyi and Alina Kizlevych of Darkstar appeared on the English-language podcast Entrepreneurial Realities. They discussed what it takes to build a defence tech company and how to develop products that work in battlefield conditions. The conversation also covered how Frontline’s cooperation with Quantum Systems evolved into the German-Ukrainian joint venture Quantum Frontline Industries.

Listen to the podcast.

Interview with Defence Builder CEO Line Rindvig

In an interview with Channel 24, Defence Builder CEO Line Rindvig spoke about the advantages and challenges facing Ukrainian defence startups, as well as their potential integration into Europe’s rearmament efforts. She emphasised the importance of a systemic approach to defence solutions, dependence on American and Chinese components, and the shortage of engineering talent in Ukraine.

Read the full interview.

Studying weapons behaviour: how Group 12’s analytical unit operates

Victory Drones’ YouTube channel featured an interview by Mariia Berlinska with Vasyl Dubovyi, head of Group 12. Group 12 is an innovative analytical unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that studies the behaviour of weapons in combat environments.

The episode focuses on the emergence of systematic military analytics in Ukraine and the assessment of weapons performance in battlefield conditions. The speakers discussed the formation of Group 12 and the impact of military analytics on decision-making in Ukraine and in cooperation with Western partners. They also addressed how flawed effectiveness assessments can affect mission outcomes and why a dedicated research direction became necessary.

Volodymyr Zelensky on Ukraine–Japan defence cooperation

Ukraine is ready to cooperate with Japan in the defence sector, including sharing technologies related to naval drones and interceptor UAVs. President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an interview with Kyodo News, noting that deeper cooperation in this area could become a historic step for both countries.

According to the president, Ukraine is interested in joint production and knowledge exchange in the fields of missile systems and air defence. At the same time, Japan may be interested in naval drones, which Ukraine has been effectively using to protect its coastline.

Around 30% of aerial targets over Ukraine are destroyed by interceptor drones

In autumn 2025, the Ukrainian Air Force established a new branch — the Command of Unmanned Air Defence Systems. Deputy Commander of Unmanned Air Defence Systems, Colonel Yurii Cherevashenko, spoke on the Air Force’s YouTube channel about the first steps in building drone-based air defence and the effectiveness of using interceptor drones against enemy UAVs.

DevDroid CEO Yurii Poritskyi on NV

DevDroid CEO Yurii Poritskyi appeared on Radio NV. He discussed using ground robotic systems to close logistics gaps, mounting weapons on UGVs and deploying them against Russian forces, and developing ground drone technologies in 2026.

In addition, Yurii published an op-ed in NV on the pyramid of needs for a modern military unit.