Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi announced the strengthening of anti-drone defences and countermeasures against Russian Shahed strike drones.
According to him, UAV interceptors play a key role in combating enemy drones. In Kyiv and its surroundings, their share in the destruction of ‘Shaheds’ exceeded 70% in February.
During a working meeting on ‘small air defence,’ the results of the work at the I-III echelon interception lines were analysed. The status of anti-drone protection projects for important administrative centres in the regions, the re-equipping of army aviation helicopters for better countering enemy UAVs, and other measures were also considered.
Syrskyi noted that despite the deterioration of weather conditions and a shortage of weapons, it was possible to maintain the indicators of ‘small air defence’ in February. During the month, interceptor drones made about 6,300 sorties and destroyed more than 1,500 Russian drones of various types.
According to the commander-in-chief, the Ukrainian military is adapting to the new tactic of using ‘suicide drones’ at extremely low altitudes, cooperating with manufacturers to improve the effectiveness of various interceptor models, forming and training crews, and equipping air defence divisions with unmanned systems.
Syrsky emphasised that work in this area must be accelerated, as it concerns the protection of peaceful cities, energy facilities and rear infrastructure. Following the meeting, he set the relevant tasks for the military command.