Ukraine ramps up air defenses to protect civilians, critical infrastructure

Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said protecting civilians, critical sites and infrastructure from Russian air strikes is a top priority for both the government and the Armed Forces, Report informs.

Speaking to a group of journalists, Syrskyi outlined a multi‑pronged effort to strengthen air defense, including increasing the number of air‑defense complexes and developing complementary capabilities that improve effectiveness against hostile aerial systems.

"We are already creating a new branch within our Air Forces - drone air‑defense units," Syrskyi said, noting these units employ both domestic and foreign drones that have proved highly effective at destroying Shahed attack drones.

He said the new systems are already being deployed and the program is in an active phase. In parallel, Ukraine is expanding other directions that have shown results against drones, including increasing the number of combat helicopters. Depending on weather conditions, these helicopters can destroy up to 40% of drones in their sectors, he said, and are being equipped with specialized systems enabling day, night and all‑weather operations using thermal and infrared modes.

Syrskyi also highlighted continued work to boost both the quantity and quality of electronic warfare capabilities. "We use everything available to expand our radar field and integrate all elements into a single system," he said, adding that Ukraine has automated command‑and‑control systems to coordinate these assets.

The commander stressed that combining air‑defence complexes, drone‑fighting units, helicopters, electronic warfare and integrated radar and control systems will improve the country"s resilience against intensified aerial attacks.