Work is ongoing within the Armed Forces of Ukraine to establish a fourth layer of air defense that will extend protection to two additional regions of the country.
This was reported by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi.
He noted that the impact of daily Russian air attacks would be significantly more severe without the systematic development of “small air defense” capabilities and the strengthening of Ukraine’s defensive systems.
According to Syrskyi, the majority of intercepted Russian Shahed, Geran, and other strike drones are now being destroyed by Ukrainian interceptor UAVs.
He said that in May alone, interceptor drones operating within a three-tier air defense structure shot down more than 3,500 Russian UAVs of various types. He added that not only the number of interceptions has grown, but also the overall effectiveness of small air defense systems. The highest performance, he said, was demonstrated by the second layer operated by the Unmanned Systems Forces, which accounted for more than 1,200 downed drones.
“We are expanding the number of interceptor UAV units and continuing personnel training. Work is also underway to create a fourth air defense layer covering two additional regions. Army aviation is being actively involved as well: in May, our helicopters destroyed more than 440 Russian drones of various types. We are equipping them with modern detection and targeting systems and expanding engagement capabilities with new missile systems that are already showing strong results,” Syrskyi said.
At the same time, he stressed that Russian forces continue to adapt their tactics, increasing the number and sophistication of UAV attacks. According to him, Russia plans to raise the share of jet-powered strike drones to 50%, creating new challenges for Ukraine’s air defense.
Syrskyi also said that during a working meeting on countering Russian UAVs, he reviewed proposals aimed at improving air defense efficiency and upgrading domestic interceptor systems.
He added that one of the key issues remains the supply of warheads for interceptor drones, but Ukraine is working to expand domestic production capacity. Following the meeting, he issued a series of tasks for the coming period.
