Zelenskyy announces new command to strengthen Ukraine’s counter-drone air defense

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said that Ukraine has approved the structure of a new command to oversee short-range counter-drone air defense, aiming to strengthen protection against Russian drone attacks on cities and border regions.

In a statement on Telegram, Zelenskyy said the decision was taken during a high-priority meeting focused on advancing counter-drone air defense within the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“A high-priority meeting on advancing short-range counter-drone air defense. We are significantly strengthening this component within the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” he said, adding that new management approaches and key tasks for the Air Force and the Defense Ministry were approved.

Zelenskyy said the first priority is reinforcing protection for cities such as Kherson and Nikopol, as well as border communities in the Sumy region.

He claimed Russian forces have turned these areas into an ongoing “safari” against civilians, with daily strikes on residential buildings, infrastructure, and civilian transport.

“The second task is scaling up our counteraction against ‘shaheds’ and other Russian attack drones. There will be more lines of defense and protection,” he said.

As a third priority, Zelenskyy stressed the need to expand the experience of successful units across Ukraine’s defense forces so that effective solutions can be applied more broadly.

“Every solution that has proven effective for one unit can be successfully applied by other Ukrainian units,” he added.