24 companies have already joined the private air defense initiative

As of April 2026, a total of 24 companies have joined the private air defense initiative.

These are companies of various ownership structures from across multiple regions of Ukraine, including Kharkiv, Odesa, Kyiv, Poltava, Zakarpattia, and other oblasts.

The private air defense project was launched in late 2025 on the initiative of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine to enhance the protection of employees and industrial facilities at enterprises that are regularly targeted by enemy drone attacks.

Private air defense does not operate as an independent or unregulated entity. It constitutes an element of the country’s multi-layered air defense system under the command of the Air Command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Private air defense groups consist of civilian employees who have completed training, hold the necessary certifications and clearances, and meet established requirements. In accordance with applicable legislation and subject to approval by the Air Command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, they are granted the right to employ designated air defense assets within defined areas and at specified times to counter enemy aerial attacks.

Private air defense groups may include individuals who, pursuant to the Law of Ukraine “On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization,” are not subject to conscription into the Defence Forces of Ukraine. Accordingly, participation in these groups does not confer exemption from mobilization. Such groups may also include personnel from paramilitary security services, where these are present at the enterprise.

Further information on how private air defense operates and how to join the project is available in the Ministry of Defence’s article.

As previously reported, in April, private air defense shot down a jet-powered Shahed-type drone for the first time at speeds exceeding 400 km/h.