Europe Is Not Preparing for the War The Right Way
Embargoed until 21 January 2026 at 8:00 a.m. EET
European defence technology is still largely developed in laboratories and tested in controlled environments in months or years. In Ukraine, unmanned systems are tested in real environments, redesigned, and redeployed in weeks — sometimes days.
Helsinki / Kyiv – 21.01.2026
While European programmes refine theoretical requirements, Ukrainian units are learning in real time which drones survive electronic warfare, which counter-drone systems fail under pressure, and how long a “state-of-the-art” platform actually lasts on a modern battlefield.
Finnish defence technology accelerator 17Tech Oy and Ukrainian frontline organization Dragon Sky announced an opening of a direct development channel between Europe and active combat environments, allowing defence startups and technology companies to build and iterate systems based on live battlefield feedback rather than assumptions.
Dragon Sky operates inside active combat zones in cooperation with Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, training operators and testing unmanned, counter-unmanned, and electronic warfare systems under real combat conditions.
“Some systems look perfect in testing. Then you deploy them and they last twenty minutes,” says a Ukrainian UAV operator working with Dragon Sky. “If you can’t redesign fast, you don’t get a second chance.”
“In Ukraine, technology doesn’t fail in reports — it fails in the air,” says Antti Kosunen, Founding Partner, 17Tech Oy. “That reality forces a completely different development mindset.”
Through the collaboration, companies participating in the 17Tech accelerator gain access to frontline operational feedback, rapid iteration cycles, and applied research from the most demanding unmanned warfare environment in existence today.
Ukraine is not only fighting a war. It is defining how modern wars are fought.
17Tech and Dragon Sky partnership will help Europe to learn in time.
17Tech Oy
Sami Luukkonen, sami@17tech.fi +358 400 464 669
Antti Kosunen, antti@17tech.fi +358 400 850 200
https://www.f6s.com/17tech-defense-tech-accelerator-2026/apply
About 17Tech Oy
17Tech Oy is a Finnish defence technology accelerator focused on helping startups and technology companies develop next-generation capabilities for modern security and defence challenges. 17Tech connects European innovation with real operational needs, enabling faster development cycles and higher operational relevance.
About Dragon Sky
Dragon Sky is a Ukrainian combat-experienced organization specializing in training, testing, and applied research of unmanned and counter-unmanned systems. Operating in close cooperation with Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, Dragon Sky conducts operator training and technology evaluation directly in active combat environments, with expertise spanning UAVs, UGVs, electronic warfare (EW), and signals intelligence (SIGINT).
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