Spotlight Q&A with Iaroslav Kalinin, CEO, INFOZAHYST

Iaroslav Kalinin was educated at the Zhitomir Institute of Radio Electronics (2002-2007) and began his career in Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service as a lead analyst, honing his skills in signal analysis. In 2016, he joined INFOZAHYST as a project manager, where he developed DF and COMINT systems and participated in combat operations, later becoming CTO. In 2020, he was named CEO of the company, driving it forward in ELINT, SIGINT, electromagnetic signal analysis, and advanced defense technologies. Kalinin is a speaker at AOC 2025 in the breakout session, Tactical Evolution in the European Theater, which will take place at 3 PM Wednesday, December 10 in Maryland Ballroom B/4-6.

JED: How has INFOZAHYST evolved over the past several years?

Kalinin: From the very beginning, INFOZAHYST was established as a technological company. Even in the early years, our portfolio included data-analytics software, cybersecurity systems, and turnkey solutions for both civilian and dual-use applications.

After the annexation of Crimea and the start of the war in Donbas in 2014, we shifted our focus toward developing our own COMINT, ELINT and DF systems for the Armed Forces.

Since 2016, INFOZAHYST has been creating tactical direction-finding and SIGINT complexes, such as PLASTUN-RP3000 and the KHORTYTSIA-M mobile COMINT system, which were adopted by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2016 and 2018 respectively.

By the time of the full-scale invasion [in February 2022], around 300 INFOZAHYST systems were already deployed in the field, making the company one of Ukraine’s key suppliers of SIGINT/COMINT capabilities.

In recent years, our portfolio has further expanded in ELINT and ESM, including airborne ELINT payloads for UAVs such as Hekata. Today, we can confidently position ourselves as one of Ukraine’s leading SIGINT/EW developers with a full R&D and local manufacturing cycle.

JED: What products and services does the company offer?

Kalinin: We design and manufacture ready-to-use systems: COMINT, direction-finding, and ELINT — from mobile platforms like PLASTUN and KHORTYTSIA to airborne ELINT payloads and the Arhont tactical ELINT/ESM system, as well as CUAS/ESM solutions.

Our other key domains are integration of advanced CUAS systems, developing joint solutions with international partners, and producing our own tools to counter hostile drones and disrupt enemy communications. We develop an analytical software and integration of multiple sensors into a unified situational awareness picture.

All our systems are united into a single sensor ecosystem and can be integrated into C2 platforms via the SAPIENT protocol.

JED: How has the Russo-Ukrainian War influenced the company?

Kalinin: The war has made our development extremely dynamic. We significantly increased production, adapted our products based on real battlefield experience, and focused R&D on mobility, resilience against EW, and effective operation across challenging frequency ranges. In practice, most innovations now emerge directly from frontline requirements.

The war compelled us to undertake a number of initiatives, such as:

• Scaling up production and improving systems — our technology is used intensively for intercepting, detecting enemy positions, and countering UAVs.
• Refocusing R&D — moving into new frequency ranges, developing airborne ELINT solutions to extend detection range, and exploring capabilities previously unavailable.
• Miniaturizing and increasing mobility — systems must be compact, rapidly deployable, and capable of operating in aggressive EW environments.
• Strengthening manufacturing and resilience — closely synchronizing R&D with actual end-user demands.

Overall, the war has transformed INFOZAHYST into a company that develops solutions directly around the needs of the battlefield, driven by real-time operational feedback.

JED: What role do partnerships play?

Kalinin: While we cannot disclose specific names without prior agreement, partnerships with international companies allow us to combine world-class hardware with Ukrainian combat experience, our extensive database of unique signals, and our battle-tested SIGINT algorithms.

With the official opening of Ukrainian defense exports, we expect new opportunities for cooperation with foreign partners and customers. We have already engaged in a number of international joint projects addressing the requirements of NATO members’ armies.

In the coming years, we will continue developing within the MITS Industries holding, which INFOZAHYST joined in 2025. This alliance of leading Ukrainian companies gives us the ability to scale production, shorten the “R&D to serial manufacturing” cycle. It also provides structured access to international markets. In essence, MITS gives us the infrastructure and collaborative environment needed to transform our technologies into complex European-level products and expand INFOZAHYST global presence.

JED: What are your goals for the next few years?

Kalinin: Our priorities include scaling production, further cooperation with foreign partners, R&D to increase the autonomy and effective range of our ELINT systems and ensuring full compliance with NATO standards.

We aim for Ukrainian technologies to become a new benchmark of effectiveness and reliability – both in Ukraine and abroad – ultimately strengthening Europe’s defense resilience in the long term.