Private air defence groups that protect facilities belonging to Ukrainian companies are made up mainly of civilians with combat experience. Vitalii Pokrovskyi, an officer with the Air Cover Forces Directorate of the Air Force Command “Centre” of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who oversees private air defence groups, said this at the LBTalks event.
According to him, companies that decide to set up such groups form them from among their own employees. The groups carry out tasks on a par with the military.
“However, they are not military formations and do not have military status. In practice, they are veterans or people who have served in the armed forces and have the necessary knowledge,” he said.
After leaving combat service, it is easier for people to carry out tasks as part of private air defence groups, the officer noted.
Private Air Defence
The intention to allow critical enterprises to defend themselves against attacks was announced as far back as last year, when Denys Shmyhal was defence minister. The government granted permission to launch the experiment this year. Within a month of the project’s launch, 14 companies said they wanted to form private air defence groups. There are now about a hundred.
As of 29 October, private air defence groups have shot down about 60 drones using turrets. Read more in Viktoriia Naidonova’s piece: “"This should become something everyday, like ordinary security". How private air defence works in Ukraine and what is lacking.”