Ukraine's Air Force explain interception rate of Shahed UAVs by drone-based air defence crews

Units that have joined a new branch of service – the Forces of Immediate Air Defence Cover, the so-called small air defence – are currently being formed within Ukraine's Air Force. Many newly created crews are still undergoing training and do not yet have sufficient technical equipment to demonstrate results.

Source: Colonel Yurii Ihnat, Head of the Communications Department of the Air Force Command, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda

Quote: "The Air Force has already formed many units referred to by Colonel Pavlo Yelizarov [in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda] – more than 300. Some crews already have greater experience and operate quite effectively, while others are only at the stage of formation and gaining experience, training and receiving the necessary equipment. That is precisely why there is such a difference (in the interview with Ukrainska Pravda, Yelizarov said that the Air Force has more than 300 interceptor crews, and only 66 of them have downed more than 10 Russian Shahed drones per crew over the year, while 170 have not downed any). This is entirely logical and should not be presented in headlines as some kind of sensation, as we have only just begun this process; it is gradually expanding and scaling up.

And most importantly, we are talking not about a calendar year but about the current year – 2026! A year ago, there were only a few interceptor crews within the Air Force due to certain problems with equipment and other circumstances.

For example, the 1020th and 1021st Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Regiments of the Ground Forces recently joined the Air Force. They have quite experienced crews – masters of interception. Their experience will certainly be useful for newly formed Air Force crews. Meanwhile, in Kharkiv Oblast, interceptor crews from the Air Force's 302nd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade are already being trained in drone interception by National Police units that are also forming anti-aircraft drone crews."

Details: Ihnat said the interception rate of Russian loitering munitions by interceptor UAV crews may vary depending on tactics, weather conditions and other factors. For example, during Russia's attack on 30 April, interceptor drones accounted for 50% of the Russian UAVs shot down.

The Air Force spokesperson noted that the new branch of service – the Forces of Immediate Air Defence Cover – was established in autumn 2025 and was initially called the Air Defence Unmanned Systems Command. The first anti-aircraft drone crews were formed in the Ground Forces and the Unmanned Systems Forces and operated mainly in the south and on the eastern front.

Ihnat explained that these crews had more time, experience and technical support, including the necessary means to detect Russian UAVs, such as radars, without which engaging aerial assets is effectively impossible.

Divisions of the Forces of Immediate Air Defence Cover have now been created under each air command and are still at the formation stage; recruitment announcements have been published on social media.

The officer stressed that these units will be scaled up across the entire country and provide drone-based air cover (anti-aircraft UAVs) nationwide, creating a layered drone air defence system.

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