Assailed by Russian drones, Ukraine launches private air defense

Businesses equipped with machine guns: in response to the hundreds of Russian drones launched daily on Ukraine, Kyiv has opened its airspace to private companies to ensure their own security, relieving the army, said a senior Ukrainian military official in an interview with AFP.

“The idea is to allow companies to protect themselves from aerial attacks at their own expense and with the help of their own employees,” explains Yuri Myronenko, 48, Inspector General of the Ministry of Defense and the main initiator of this project, which has already enabled the shooting down of Russian drones.

Since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has been extensively using long-range Shahed drones, of Iranian design but now mass-produced in Russia.

Inexpensive but devastating, these drones target residential areas and essential infrastructure, sometimes hundreds of kilometers from the front.

The largest attack since 2022 took place in late March, involving, in addition to missiles, nearly 1000 drones launched in 24 hours.

While the Ukrainian air defense system, which includes thousands of mobile anti-drone teams, is quite effective, it is not sufficient to cover the entire country.

Interceptors

“We are the first in the world to have implemented a system” that allows private actors to “shoot down very difficult aerial targets,” assures the responsible party.

“The first interceptions took place two weeks ago,” he said.

In the Kharkiv region (northeast), near the front line, a company, whose name has not been disclosed, shot down several Russian drones using heavy machine guns mounted on telescopic turrets.

Following the publication of a statement on this matter by the Ministry of Defense, “dozens” of other groups have contacted the authorities for information, according to Mr. Myronenko.

Interested companies must undergo special checks, especially to rule out any affiliation with Russia before being able to purchase weapons and train their employees.

And above all, integrate coordination with the air force, a key part of this sophisticated system that manages thousands of anti-aircraft teams in real time.

Specialized software allows to see “how and where the teams work, who shot down what, what new target appears,” describes Yuri Myronenko.

According to him, drone interceptors – devices designed to shoot them down in flight – are the future of this private air defense.

Under the pressure of incessant attacks, Ukraine has already developed about fifty interceptor models, a domain that did not even exist a year ago.

“Shooting down 95% of the targets”

Fierce competition pushes manufacturers to quickly improve efficiency while reducing costs, sometimes to less than $1,000 per unit, making them “affordable,” according to Mr. Myronenko.

Ultimately, private groups could even obtain weapons enabling them to shoot down cruise missiles, such as portable surface-to-air systems, which Russia frequently uses against Ukraine, he believes.

“We do not limit the defense means they can purchase” to ensure maximum flexibility in a war that changes “every three or six months,” emphasizes the responsible party.

The goal is to reach the main objective set by the new Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov for this year: “detect 100% of aerial targets,” drones and missiles included, and “shoot down 95%” compared to about 80% currently.

An “absolutely realistic” project, according to Yuri Myronenko, given the explosion in production of interceptors delivered by “tens of thousands” to the army every month.

“We must clearly show (to Russia) that terrorizing our population, our civilian infrastructure, will not help them in any way.”