An experimental government project that allows critical infrastructure enterprises to create their own fire teams to protect the skies has yielded its first combat results.
An experimental government project that allows critical infrastructure enterprises to create their own fire teams to protect the skies has yielded its first combat results.
According to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, one of the companies participating in the project has already completed the training of its air defense group and has taken up combat duty. To date, this unit has successfully intercepted and destroyed several enemy drones, including Shahed strike drones and Zala reconnaissance drones in the Kharkiv region.
Private air defense work. First Shahed & Zala drones downed in Kharkiv by a private firm. 13 more companies joining. Integrated with Air Force command to scale protection without burdening the front. Opening the market to build a resilient, multi-layered sky. pic.twitter.com/GhXuX6a9dS
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) March 30, 2026
Currently, 13 more enterprises have received the status of authorized business entities in the Ministry of Defense. The process of forming their air defense groups is ongoing: some are already starting to perform combat missions, others are undergoing intensive training or completing training.
"Private air defense is integrated into the unified control system of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and is already working in it - protecting facilities and participating in the Shahed interception. This is a systemic solution that allows you to quickly scale air defense capabilities without additional burden on front-line units. We have created a model where the state, the military, and business work as a single system," Fedorov wrote.
Critical infrastructure enterprises, regardless of their form of ownership (both state and private), were granted permission to create their own fire teams. This decision was made by the Cabinet of Ministers as part of a pilot project launched in November 2025.
