Interceptor drones already destroying majority of Russian air attack weapons – Syrsky
Over the course of May, Ukrainian interceptor drones destroyed more than 3,500 Russian UAVs of various types across three echelons of air defense, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine General Oleksandr Syrsky said on Thursday morning.
"The consequences of Russia’s daily air strikes on the territory of Ukraine would have been significantly more severe if not for the systemic work of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to develop ‘small air defense’ and strengthen its capabilities. Today, the majority of neutralized Russian ‘Shaheds,’ ‘Gerans,’ and other air attack weapons are the result of the work of our interceptor UAVs," Syrsky wrote on Telegram.
According to him, the number of interceptor UAV crews continues to grow.
"Work is underway on forming a fourth air defense echelon, which will cover two more regions," the commander-in-chief reported.
Syrsky also spoke about the involvement of army aviation in repelling Russian air attacks.
"In May, our helicopters destroyed more than 440 Russian drones of various types. We are equipping helicopters with modern detection and targeting systems, expanding the lineup of weapons with new missile systems that are already demonstrating excellent results," he reported.
The commander-in-chief noted that Russia is constantly changing its tactics for using UAVs, increasing their number and improving quality, and also plans to bring the share of jet-powered strike drones up to 50%. "This presents us with new challenges that require a timely response. At a working meeting on countering strike UAVs, I heard proposals to increase the efficiency of our air defense and further levels of modernization for domestic interceptors… Following the meeting, I defined tasks in these and other areas for the next period," Syrsky said.
