Ukraine's military is letting private companies join in the air defense fight as Russia bombards the country with a growing number of attack drones.
Twenty-seven Ukrainian companies from across the country have already joined the first-of-its-kind initiative, an experimental program that allows them to form their own air defense units. Some of them have already logged combat missions.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov recently told reporters during an update meeting that the number of companies applying to join the program is growing weekly. He said there's a "strong business interest in this initiative, which provides an additional means of protecting personnel and industrial capacity."
The companies are at different readiness levels. Some are training personnel or receiving explosives and small arms from the Ukrainian military, while others are procuring technology such as interceptor drones, electronic warfare systems, radars, and gun turrets.
Fedorov said two companies' air defense units are already conducting combat operations in the Kharkiv and Odesa regions, working in coordination with the Ukrainian Air Force.
These units have shot down roughly 20 Russian one-way attack drones and reconnaissance drones, including at least one newer Shahed-type drone powered by a jet engine.
"In the near future, several more enterprise-based air defense units will assume combat duty," Fedorov said, adding that these private air defense units must seek approval from Ukraine's military before taking up arms.
The development of a private Ukrainian air defense initiative comes as Russia increasingly invests in expanding its drone operations by ramping up production and building out launch sites.
Russia can produce thousands of Shahed-style attack drones each month, fueling heavy barrages. It launched more than 6,500 in April with a daily rate of 219, compared to 208 in March and 203 in July 2025, according to data collected by the Institute for Science and International Security, a US think tank.
In response to the uptick in launches, Ukraine has made it a priority to strengthen its short-range air defense umbrella. Including private companies in its defense falls under these efforts, as do other initiatives, such as more than doubling the procurement of interceptor drones during the first four months of 2026.
Fedorov said the share of Shaheds taken down by interceptor drones has doubled during this time period, "even as the number of Shahed launches by Russia has increased by 35% monthly."
He described Ukraine's push to improve its air defense as a "systemic effort," aiming for a 95% interception rate of Russian aircraft.
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Jake Epstein is a correspondent for Business Insider based in London. He covers global defense issues with a focus on the US military, the NATO alliance, European security, and emerging tech in warfare.Jake has reported from Ukraine, the Middle East, around Europe, and across the United States. He has embedded with a US aircraft carrier during the Red Sea conflict, a NATO surveillance plane on a mission in Eastern Europe, a British aerial refueling tanker over the Baltic region, and a Dutch warship operating far north of the Arctic Circle.Contact Jake at [email protected] or securely via Signal at jepstein.97Featured stories:
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