Ukraine Allows Private Companies to Form Air Defense Units

Ukraine has launched an experimental program that allows private companies to form their own air defense units and participate in operations against Russian drones. Twenty-seven Ukrainian companies have joined the initiative. Some units are training personnel or acquiring interceptor drones, electronic warfare systems, radars, and gun turrets from the military, while others have already begun combat operations.

Two company-based units are conducting missions in the Kharkiv and Odesa regions in coordination with the Ukrainian Air Force. These units have shot down roughly 20 Russian one-way attack drones and reconnaissance drones, including at least one newer Shahed-type drone powered by a jet engine.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that additional enterprise-based units will assume combat duty in the near future. All private units must receive military approval before taking up arms.

Russia launched more than 6,500 Shahed-style attack drones in April, averaging 219 per day. This represents an increase from 208 daily launches in March and 203 in July 2025, according to data from the Institute for Science and International Security.

Ukraine has more than doubled its procurement of interceptor drones in the first four months of 2026. The share of Shahed drones intercepted by these systems has doubled even as Russian monthly launches rose by 35 percent, Fedorov said.