According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov, private air defense crews have begun operating in the country.

He said the Ukrainian authorities are now rolling out an experimental project that brings the private sector into the air defense system, and that the initiative is already producing initial results.

Fedorov said one private company had formed its own air defense unit. According to him, the group in Kharkov Region allegedly shot down several drones. At the same time, similar crews are being set up at 13 more Ukrainian enterprises.

He added that all of the groups are currently at different stages of readiness. Some are already carrying out combat missions, others are still in training, while the rest are completing preparation and are expected to reinforce Ukraine’s air defense in the near future.

Fedorov also said the private crews had already been integrated into the unified command system of the Ukrainian Air Force. These groups receive weapons, operate under Air Force coordination and are becoming part of the broader airspace defense structure.