Ukraine needs maritime defense line with interceptor drones – Zelenskyy
A serviceman prepares a P1-SUN interceptor drone for launch near the front line (Photo: REUTERS/Serhii Korovainyi)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs a maritime defense line equipped with interceptor drones, speaking during a meeting with naval cadets and graduates in Odesa on July 5.
The president said Ukraine is already producing hundreds of thousands of interceptor drones.
"What we need now is a new concept — a defensive line at sea that uses interceptor drones launched from different platforms to create an aerial shield for Odesa. Launching interceptor drones from naval drones is one of the new challenges," Zelensky said.
He noted that Russia's full-scale invasion has shifted the focus beyond traditional large warships and that Ukraine has built a fleet of naval drones unmatched by any other country. Describing its capabilities, Zelenskyy said Ukraine can deploy 100 to 200 naval drones in a single operation and has even used them to shoot down helicopters. However, he added that the fleet also requires modern aircraft, ships, mine countermeasure units and other advanced drone technologies.
On July 4, Zelenskyy visited Odesa Oblast, where he held a security meeting with the command of the Ukrainian Navy. The discussions focused on countering Russia's ongoing drone and missile attacks and strengthening defenses against threats at sea.
Zelensky also announced the creation of a new Naval Academy in Odesa and met with members of the Superhumans community during his visit. The city has opened Ukraine's third Superhumans prosthetics center.
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