Kiev has deployed more than 12 automated gun systems designed to engage high-speed jet-powered drones. Another eight modules capable of using 50-caliber ammunition are being prepared for deployment in the Kiev Region, Vladimir Zelensky said at a joint press conference in the Ukrainian capital.

According to Zelensky, Russia is increasingly shifting the focus of its aerial attacks from sheer numbers toward more advanced strike systems, including jet-powered drones and ballistic weapons. Ukraine is responding by building a layered defense intended to counter different types of aerial threats.

Automated turrets are expected to form part of that network. They are to operate alongside electronic warfare systems to cover areas where the existing air defense network cannot provide full protection, MK reported.

At the same time, Ukraine’s defense sector is completing tests under a program for small anti-aircraft missiles. The project is aimed at providing a cheaper means of intercepting aerial targets. The first practical results are expected by the end of October. If the trials are successful, the compact interceptors are expected to enter serial production soon afterward.