Units of the National Guard of Ukraine have eliminated 3,244 Shahed and Gerbera attack drones since the beginning of the year. Most of these air targets, namely 2,601 units, were downed using specialized interceptor drones. This was reported by Ukrinform citing Oleksandr Pivnenko, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine Oleksandr Pivnenko stated that such results were achieved through systematic work to strengthen the state’s air defense capabilities and protect critical infrastructure. According to him, the agency constantly analyzes the efficiency of existing solutions, seeks new ones, tests domestic developments, and cooperates with partners.
Airspace defense and interception dynamics
Anti-aircraft units maintain round-the-clock duty, detecting and destroying enemy air targets to prevent them from reaching designated locations. The destruction dynamics show significant growth: in 2025, the number of downed air targets increased 19-fold compared to 2024, and in 2026 it grew another 6 times compared to 2025.
These figures reflect personnel training, new tactics, combat experience, and modern technologies. In addition, since the beginning of the full-scale war, National Guard unmanned systems crews have hit over 243,000 enemy targets.
Illustrative photo: President Of Ukraine from Україна / CC0
