Ports have formed their own air defense groups, they have already downed the first drones – Kuleba

Air defense groups consisting of veteran employees have been created in Ukrainian ports to protect infrastructure. They are subordinate to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and have already shot down the first enemy drones.

In Ukrainian ports, as part of an experimental project, dedicated air defense groups have been formed and have already recorded their first shoot-downs of enemy drones. This was reported on Telegram by the Vice Prime Minister for Restoration – Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksiy Kuleba, according to UNN.

Special air defense groups are operating effectively in Ukrainian ports. These units are formed from employees of the enterprises—primarily veterans of the full-scale war. We already have the first shoot-downs,

Kuleba emphasized that state enterprises are directly involved in the protection of critical infrastructure, although organizationally the units are subordinate to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Today, ports remain among the key targets of Russian attacks. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, more than 900 port infrastructure facilities have been damaged or partially destroyed, including 177 civilian vessels. The intensity of drone attacks is increasing: while 75 UAVs were recorded in the first four months of last year, this year there have already been over 800.

Despite this, the ports continue to operate—since the beginning of 2024, nearly 30 million tons of cargo have been processed.