Ukraine Launches Civilian Drone Hunters to Counter Russia’s Aerial Onslaught

Ukraine will recruit local volunteers to shoot down Russian drones under a new government program, offering up to 100,000 hryvnias (around $2,400) per month from local budgets.

The government representative in the Verkhovna Rada, Taras Melnychuk, announced on Telegram that the Cabinet of Ministers had approved the Ministry of Defense’s proposal to launch the experimental project.

It will operate during martial law but for no longer than two years.

The project will recruit members of paramilitary units and volunteer territorial defense units who have the necessary drone operation skills or qualifications.

They will be tasked with defending against Russian aerial threats, including detecting, tracking, and shooting down drones using UAVs, piloted aircraft, and personal weapons.

Verkhovna Rada Deputy Oleksiy Honcharenko published a draft government decision detailing that volunteers must undergo training and certification to participate.

In December 2024, the Commander of Ukraine’s National Guard, Oleksandr Pivnenko, said Ukraine’s critical infrastructure was being protected by 900 fire groups, about 500 of which were mobile.

At the time, he expressed hopes to further modernize these groups to improve their mobility and effectiveness.

“The National Guard fire groups are integrated into the air defense system and controlled by the Air Force. We continue to upgrade their equipment and training,” Pivnenko said.

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Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov warned that Kyiv has only a limited window to capitalize on those gains before Russia adapts.

“They use tablets to track incoming threats in real-time. Weather and altitude can affect success rates, but the performance of these groups is improving,” he added.

In recent weeks, Russia has significantly intensified drone attacks against Ukraine.

The largest recorded assault took place on June 9, when Russian forces launched 499 drones and missiles, including 479 Shahed strike UAVs and simulator drones of various types, as per the Ukrainian Air Force report.

Ukrainian air defenses successfully neutralized 460 drones and 19 missiles, though strikes and falling debris were reported in multiple locations across the country.