Despite challenging weather and a shortage of munitions, Ukraine has maintained the effectiveness of its short-range air defenses, the country’s commander-in-chief said.
In February, more than 70% of Russian Shahed attack drones over Kyiv and surrounding areas were downed by interceptor drones, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a Facebook post.
“The key role in countering Shaheds is shifting to interceptor UAVs. For example, in Kyiv and its outskirts in February, interceptor drones accounted for more than 70% of Shahed shootdowns,” he wrote.
Syrskyi said that, despite difficult weather and a lack of strike assets, short-range air defenses have remained effective.
“Over the past month, our interceptor drones carried out about 6,300 sorties, destroying more than 1,500 Russian UAVs of various types,” he said, adding that projects to strengthen counter-drone defenses are under his direct oversight.
He added that during a recent meeting, officials discussed upgrading army aviation helicopters to counter Shaheds, forming and training interceptor UAV crews, and equipping air defense units with unmanned systems.
“Over the past year, significant work has been done in this area, but we need to step up efforts and accelerate the pace. This is, above all, about protecting peaceful Ukrainian cities and towns, as well as our energy sector and other rear-area infrastructure,” he concluded.
Earlier, it was reported that Ukraine has significantly increased production of interceptor drones. In December and January, the Armed Forces of Ukraine were receiving more than 1,500 counter-Shahed UAVs per day.
