Ukraine's private-sector air defence initiative joined by 30 companies

A total of 30 companies have joined the experimental project to involve the private sector in the air defence system.

Source: Ukraine's Ministry of Defence

Details: Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has granted these companies authorised status to carry out air defence operations.

"Air defence groups from several companies are carrying out combat missions as assigned. They have shot down more than 20 Shahed-type attack drones and Zala-type reconnaissance UAVs," the Ministry of Defence noted.

It was also reported on 17 April that a private air defence unit had shot down a Shahed-type jet-powered loitering munition travelling at over 400 km/h in Kharkiv Oblast.

"In total, since the start of the pilot project, 43 companies of various ownership structures from different sectors and regions of Ukraine have submitted applications to the Ministry of Defence to establish their own air defence units," the Ministry of Defence added.

The ministry noted that among applicants already authorised to carry out air defence measures, around half are operators and companies in critical infrastructure, while the remainder are private sector companies.

According to Ukraine's defence ministry, as of April 2026, 24 companies had joined the private-sector air defence project. On 21 May, Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov reported that 27 companies had joined the initiative.

The Ministry of Defence explains that private air defence is a component of Ukraine's multi-layered air defence system. It does not operate independently but forms part of the overall system under the command of the Ukrainian Air Force Command.

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