Ukraine's laser air defense system shows first results in tests, Defense Minister says
Photo: Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov (facebook.com/mykhailofedorov)
Ukraine is moving into a new phase of air defense development. Laser systems are already being tested, while drone interceptors are demonstrating increasingly high effectiveness, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.
According to Fedorov, Ukraine is already testing laser air defense systems.
"We are already testing lasers, and we already have some results. We are not communicating much about it yet, but this area is actively developing," he said.
Results already achieved by drone interceptors
The minister said that in May alone, Ukrainian interceptor drones shot down nearly 7,000 Russian Shahed and Gerbera drones.
In addition, during one of the recent mass attacks, around 75% of the strike drones were destroyed by interceptor drones.
Fedorov also noted that during the latest attack on Kyiv, Ukrainian forces managed to shoot down 95% of enemy drones. According to him, the Ministry of Defense plans to achieve the same interception effectiveness across the entire territory of Ukraine by the end of the year.
New missiles and large-scale production
According to the Defense Minister, the ministry has already announced a tender for the purchase of an additional 150,000 drones, some of which belong to the Middle Strike class.
A key priority remains the development of low-cost cruise missiles using artificial intelligence technologies.
"This may sound like futuristic projects, but in a year, it will no longer be news. We will be working on it," Fedorov stressed.
He also said that Ukraine is currently testing developments from about ten companies that are creating low-cost missiles designed to intercept drones.
Work is also ongoing on systems capable of countering ballistic missiles and guided aerial bombs.
At the same time, Ukraine is gradually expanding the export opportunities of its defense industry.
Agreements in the Drone Deal format have become one of the key tools that provide not only arms supplies but also technology transfer, joint defense projects, and the attraction of international funding.
Around 20 countries have already expressed interest in such cooperation.
