Ukraine has begun forming a new branch of the Armed Forces — the Air Defense Unmanned Systems Forces, which will operate under the Air Force, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on 26 September during a press conference with Militarnyi.

Drones to defend the rear

Militarnyi reports that the new formation is intended to strengthen air defense by supporting tactical aviation and surface-to-air missile troops, protecting cities and critical infrastructure. A command has already been formed, and subunits equipped with interceptor drones are being deployed.

Syrskyi said the systems are already in use, with personnel training ongoing and radar coverage expanding.

“The process is in full swing, if I can put it that way,” he noted.

He noted that Ukrainian and foreign-made interceptor drones have shown over 70% success in destroying Russian Shahed one-way attack drones.

Mobile interceptor drone teams with radar

Syrskyi said the drone air defense system is echeloned. The first interception line runs along the frontline, where Russian long-range UAVs enter Ukrainian airspace.

A key role is played by lightweight tactical three-coordinate radars. These systems can be carried by several soldiers, are easily hidden, and allow small groups in vehicles to create mobile, autonomous defense lines.

In June, Syrskyi said a lack of tactical radars was a major obstacle: “We only have a few. We need hundreds.”

Militarnyi earlier reported that Ukraine began domestic production of such radars. They detect aerial targets beyond 10 kilometers but are simpler and more stable than complex Western systems, as they were built specifically for UAV interception tasks.