Private air defense shoots down jet Shahed for first time at speed of 400+ km/h – Fedorov

Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov has announced the first shoot-down of a jet-powered Shahed at a speed of 400+ km/h by a private air defense unit.

"We continue to develop the private air defense project. A private air defense group in the Kharkiv region is actively shooting down Shaheds; specifically, the first shoot-down of a jet drone has been recorded," he wrote on Telegram on Friday.

The Minister noted that this represents a new level of difficulty: Russia is scaling up the use of jet drones, which are faster and more difficult to intercept. "Following the President’s task, we are systematically building a multi-layered air defense and strengthening the protection of our skies. One element of this system is private groups that reinforce the protection of critical infrastructure. The goal of the project is to quickly scale capabilities without additional burden on combat units," he emphasized.

According to Fedorov, private air defense groups are currently being formed at 19 enterprises. They are integrated into the unified management system of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and operate as part of the overall air defense architecture. "The next step is scaling the project and results: more targets downed and faster responses to threats," he added.