Interceptor drones now bulk of Ukraine’s air defenses—Syrskyi
Most Russian strike UAVs attacking Ukrainian cities are destroyed using small, agile interceptor drones, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Oct. 2.
In September, Russian forces launched nearly 6,900 UAVs into Ukrainian territory, including more than 3,600 Shahed kamikaze drones, Syrskyi said in a Telegram post.
“We must deploy effective solutions every day and every night to counter this threat,” he added.
“The enemy is constantly changing its drone tactics. Russian troops have stepped up attacks on frontline and border areas and are targeting critical infrastructure and civilian sites.”
To meet this challenge, Ukraine has taken steps to strengthen air defenses in those sectors, including increasing the number of interceptor drone crews. Syrskyi said the defense forces are expanding the ranks of these units, improving specialist training, and building new training facilities.
He also noted ongoing cooperation between the military and domestic manufacturers to refine existing interceptor models and accelerate the development and fielding of new ones.
“We have set clear tasks for all involved agencies, primarily to improve the efficiency of drone destruction and to deploy new units equipped with interceptor drones,” said Syrskyi.
Ukraine is also upgrading its drone-detection systems to boost interception rates. The Air Force is forming a new Unmanned Air Defense Command to oversee these efforts.
Beyond interceptor drones, Syrskyi said Ukraine is using attack helicopters and light aircraft to engage Russian drones at higher altitudes.
“Light aircraft allow us to effectively strike UAVs flying at greater heights; we are training new flight crews for these missions,” he said.
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