Private air defense unit downs jet-powered drone for first time

According to Ukrinform, Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov announced this on Facebook and shared a video of the combat operation.

“We continue to develop the private air defense project. A private air defense group in the Kharkiv region is actively intercepting Shahed drones, and the first successful downing of a jet-powered drone has now been recorded,” Fedorov said.

He noted that this marks a new level of difficulty: “The enemy is scaling up the use of jet-powered drones, which are faster and more difficult to intercept. Following the President’s directive, we are systematically building a multi-layered air defense system and strengthening the protection of our skies.”

According to Fedorov, private groups are one component of this system, helping to reinforce the protection of critical infrastructure. The goal of the project is to rapidly scale up capabilities without placing additional strain on frontline combat units.

Currently, private air defense groups are being formed at 19 enterprises. They are integrated into the unified command system of the Air Force and operate as part of the overall air defense architecture.

“The next step is to scale up the project and its results – more targets intercepted and faster responses to threats,” Fedorov added.

As reported, in late March, Fedorov said that the pilot project involving the private sector in air defense was already showing its first results.