Private Ukrainian companies are integrated into the army’s system to defend the sky against drones and missiles launched daily by Russia.
A surprising new development for some Ukrainian companies. Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on Friday, April 17, that a Russian Shahed drone reaction was “neutralized” while flying “over 400km/h”. While non-military defenses had previously neutralized drones, this is the first time for a flying object at such speed according to Ukraine, which has opened its sky defense to companies.
“19 companies now form private air defense groups, fully integrated into the unified command system of the Air Force,” detailed the Ukrainian minister.
As of March 30, Kiev announced that the first drones launched by Moscow were shot down “by a private company in Kharkiv”, in the northeast of the country.
By “private air defense,” Ukraine does not mean independent mercenaries. They refer to private companies – possibly in energy, transportation, telecommunications, or industry – that create their own anti-drone units to protect their sites. Employees of these companies are trained, equipped, and integrated into the command system of the Ukrainian Air Force. They receive military information, act on military orders, and sometimes use machine guns, jammers, interceptor drones, or automated systems to bring down Russian drones.
“We do not limit the means of protection they can purchase”
Ukraine reveals little details about the identity of companies involved in defending its sky. These companies must have prior authorization from authorities to shoot down Ukrainian drones before being integrated into the army system. A welcome help for Kiev against relentless Russian attacks but not a miracle solution.
“We do not expect private air defense to solve all our problems. We are forced to take this measure, as every opportunity to shoot down one, two, three, four, five Shaheds is valuable,” explained Yuriy Myronenko, inspector general at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and main architect of the project earlier this month.
The goal is therefore to shoot down as many Russian drones as possible. And for this, Ukraine is ready to equip its companies with sophisticated weapons. “We do not limit the means of protection they can purchase, as we understand that the war will evolve in three or six months,” further predicted Yuriy Myronenk.
On the ground, Ukraine continues to face Russian drone and missile attacks, more than four years after the start of the Russian invasion. This Thursday, Moscow launched 659 drones and 44 missiles in just 24 hours against Ukraine, causing at least 16 deaths and 111 injuries. Kiev claims to intercept the majority of weapons launched against its territory. Conversely, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that these strikes targeted military objectives and energy infrastructure used by the Ukrainian army.
