Key facts
- Ukraine has authorized 81 companies to form private air defense units.
- The number of authorized companies increased from 51 in mid-July.
- The program aims to protect workers and facilities and reduce strain on military air defenses.
- Businesses can voluntarily form and finance air defense groups with trained civilian employees.
- Participating companies can receive temporarily unused military air defense equipment.
- Private air defense units downed over 50 Shahed and Zala drones by mid-July.
Ukraine has expanded its private air defense program, authorizing 81 companies to form and finance their own units as Russia intensifies drone attacks. This marks an increase from 51 companies in mid-July, according to the Defense Ministry's September 16, 2026 announcement.
The program, established by the Cabinet of Ministers in November 2025, allows eligible businesses, including essential service providers and security firms, to voluntarily establish air defense groups staffed by trained civilian employees. The initiative aims to protect workers and facilities while alleviating pressure on strained military air defense resources, which are increasingly challenged by near-hourly drone attacks targeting civilian infrastructure.
Under rules introduced in March 2026, participating companies can also receive temporary use of military air defense equipment and ammunition with Air Force approval. The first successful interceptions by private units were reported in March in Kharkiv Oblast, with a jet-powered Shahed-type drone downed in April. By mid-July, these private units had successfully intercepted more than 50 Shahed and Zala drones.