In April, 24 Ukrainian companies ran their own air defense. By mid-September, 81 do — about one new firm per day
They've already downed 20-plus Russian drones.
In April 2025, Ukraine granted 24 private companies permission to establish their own air defense systems against Russian drone attacks, according to the Defense Ministry. This experimental program has since expanded to include 81 such firms, representing an average of one new company joining the initiative each day since mid-July.
The Defense Ministry launched the program to provide additional protection for Ukrainian factories, warehouses, and power sites that are continuously targeted by Russian drones. Some of the companies involved in this initiative include operators from critical infrastructure and various industries across Ukraine. These teams are integrated into Ukraine's layered air defense system under the command of the Air Force, ensuring they do not shoot into a shared airspace blindly.
The program has grown rapidly, jumping from 24 companies in April to 30 in June, 51 in July, and reaching 81 by mid-September. These units consist of trained and certified civilian staff, with some operating mobile fire teams using heavy machine guns, while others deploy interceptor drones. By June 2025 alone, these teams had successfully shot down over 20 Russian attack and reconnaissance drones, including a high-speed Geran variant that had posed a significant challenge to Ukraine's defenses.
The Defense Ministry's objective for this project is to detect and neutralize 95 percent of aerial threats, with the number of participating companies continuing to rise.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
