Radar shortage plagues Ukraine's drone defenses - Unmanned Systems Forces
The worker of private security company shows the room where the enemy drones movement is being monitored, April 8, 2026 (Photo: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko)
There is a severe lack of radars for small drone air defense in Ukraine, 59th Motorized Brigade Unmanned Systems Battalion soldier Serge Marko said in an interview with Radio NV on April 21.
"As far as I know, the General Staff has a lot of work right now even with the existing so-called small drone air defense," he said.
"Because there is still a deficit, a shortage of crews, and a shortage of radars. A severe shortage of radars. It seems things have more or less started to even out with anti-aircraft drones. But all these crews are not very effective when you do not have a radar. Even Ukrainian radars that fall short of the RADA [Israel radars - ed.] level."
All radars that will be manufactured in Ukraine by early 2027 are already sold out, he emphasized.
"And what to do about this, where to look for alternatives? We need to buy up everything Chinese or Western, because we really are falling behind," he added.
Interceptor drones downed over 10,000 enemy fixed-wing drones, including Shahed and Gerbera types, in February, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported on March 27.
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