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A private civil defence unit shot down a Shahed drone for the first time — in the Kharkiv region

Dmitro Shevchuk
Dmitro Shevchuk Executive Editor
A private civil defence unit shot down a Shahed drone for the first time — in the Kharkiv region
Private security company
A private air defence unit shot down an enemy jet drone travelling at 400 kilometres per hour for the first time

Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced this on Telegram.

“We are continuing to develop the private air defence project. A private air defence group in the Kharkiv region is actively shooting down ‘Shaheds’; in particular, the first downing of a jet drone has been recorded,” the minister stated.

According to him, this represents a new level of complexity: the enemy is scaling up the use of jet drones – which are faster and more difficult to intercept. 

"On the President’s instructions, we are systematically building a multi-layered air defence system and strengthening our air defences. 

One element of this system is private groups that reinforce the protection of critical infrastructure. The aim of the project is to rapidly scale up capabilities without placing an additional burden on combat units,” said Fedorov.

He noted that private air defence groups are currently being formed at 19 enterprises. They are integrated into the Air Force’s unified command system and operate as part of the overall air defence architecture.

"The next step is to scale up the project and its results: more targets shot down and a faster response to threats," added the Defence Minister.

As a reminder, an experimental model for involving the private sector in air defence has been operational in Ukraine since early April. One private company has carried out its first missions in the Kharkiv region and shot down several Russian drones, including Shahed and Zala models.

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