Ukraine General Staff simplifies corporate air defense radar and EW rules with 5-business-day reviews; Ministry of Defense reports corporate automated turrets shot down over 60 targets.

Kyiv, Ukraine

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced on October 30, 2026 (local time) that it issued an order simplifying the approval procedure to allow air defense teams formed directly by private and state-owned enterprises to use radar and electronic warfare equipment. According to the General Staff, the purpose of this order is to remove bureaucratic barriers facing enterprise air defense teams. Enterprise air defense teams are air defense units organized by enterprises using their own employees under the "Pilot Project on Strengthening Air Defense with Enterprise Participation," launched by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine through Resolution No. 1506 on November 19, 2025. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine announced that Russian drones attack Ukrainian enterprises almost daily, and that enterprise air defense is an initiative that adds corporate funding and personnel to the national air defense network, easing the burden on the defense forces' air defense assets. The General Staff announced that this approach "combines enterprise flexibility with centralized military command."

General Staff Lowers Barriers for Enterprise Air Defense Teams to Use Radar and Electronic Warfare Equipment

According to the General Staff's announcement, applications by enterprises to deploy air defense equipment and applications for radio frequency allocations will each be reviewed within five business days. Approved enterprise air defense teams will obtain "special user" status in radio frequency bands and use frequencies under the same rules as the military. Because radar and electronic warfare equipment operate by emitting or receiving radio waves, they must receive frequency allocations prior to operation. Electronic warfare is a means of disrupting the flight of enemy drones by jamming their communications and satellite navigation signals with radio waves.

The General Staff announced that enterprise air defense teams operate alongside the Ukrainian Air Force and are integrated into a single radar network. According to the General Staff, enterprise air defense teams act in accordance with signals sent by the air defense command—which include authorizations and prohibitions to engage targets—and report engagement results back to the command. The General Staff added that only verified equipment listed on an official registry may be used. The General Staff described enterprise air defense teams as "additional eyes and shields in the sky."

Air Force Air Commands Determine Sectors and Targets for Enterprise Air Defense Teams

According to Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1506, the coordinating agency of the pilot project is the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, and the participating entities are the Armed Forces of Ukraine and enterprises. Project funding is borne by the enterprises. In the resolution, the Cabinet defined an "air defense team" as an organizational unit created within an enterprise to protect its real estate, property, critical infrastructure, and Ukrainian territory from Russian air attacks. Air defense assets specified by the Cabinet include unmanned aerial systems, surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft guns, small arms and ammunition, and radar and electronic warfare equipment. The air defense command authorities are the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Air Force Command, Air Force air commands, and tactical air defense group commands in each oblast.

Under the resolution, enterprises must first submit an application to the Ministry of Defense. Applying enterprises must hold a permit for handling special goods or a private security license, or be registered in the electronic registry of state contract contractors, and must not be subject to sanctions. The Cabinet barred enterprises from participating if an "aggressor state"—referring to Russia—holds a direct or indirect stake, or if citizens of an aggressor state are shareholders, ultimate beneficial owners, or members of management. Enterprise representatives and air defense team members must be at least 21 years of age, have no record of intentional criminal offenses, and pass psychiatric evaluations and drug screenings. The Ministry of Defense reviews applications within 10 days of receipt. Critical infrastructure operators obtain authorization through a notification procedure by submitting a letter.

According to the resolution, the structure of the air defense team and its leader are designated by the head of the enterprise, and members enter into employment contracts with the enterprise. Foreign nationals and stateless persons may join air defense teams only if the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reviews and confirms the absence of national security risks. Members operating as drone pilots must obtain an external pilot license under Cabinet Resolution No. 1129. Air defense teams may be deployed on air defense missions only after members complete training, and the Cabinet required military air defense command authorities and units to assist in training upon request by enterprise heads. Under the resolution, air defense team members have the right to use air defense assets during missions in accordance with the legal procedures applicable to the defense forces. Air defense teams can receive air situation data from air defense command authorities, including radar detection information, as well as instructions regarding air defense organization.

The primary tasks of air defense teams specified by the Cabinet in the resolution are the detection, surveillance, tracking, and classification of Russian air attack assets; threat neutralization (interception); coverage of facilities designated in joint decisions; maintenance of constant combat readiness; coordination with military command bodies and units; activity reporting; and the storage, guarding, and record-keeping of air defense assets. According to the resolution, air defense teams must remain ready to deploy on missions at all times while on duty, and must notify the relevant Air Force air command and oblast tactical air defense group command of their readiness status and mission outcomes. Air defense teams must mobilize all issued air defense assets and are directly responsible for equipment maintenance and operational condition. Under the resolution, this pilot project will operate during the period of martial law for a duration not exceeding two years.

An authorized enterprise then submits a follow-up application to the Air Force air command responsible for the relevant region. According to the resolution, the air command reviews the application within 10 days and issues a "joint decision" with the enterprise. The joint decision outlines the list of facilities to be protected, duty sectors, the inventory and storage locations of available air defense assets, and coordination protocols with the military. The Cabinet established that air defense teams may use air defense assets only after receiving an alert signal from the military and must act according to target engagement authorization or prohibition signals. The Cabinet also prohibited the deployment of air defense team members on combat missions other than air defense. The air defense team leader must daily enter on-duty personnel into the military's integrated command platform "Delta" and submit monthly reports to the air command detailing detected aerial threats, assets used, and engagement results.

Ministry of Defense Announces Nearly 100 Enterprises Have Joined Pilot Project

On October 14, 2026, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine announced that nearly 100 enterprises—including critical infrastructure operators and state-owned and private companies—had joined the pilot project. According to the ministry, air defense teams from six of these enterprises have entered active combat duty, and approximately 50 air defense teams have been organized under Air Force air commands. The ministry announced that as of October 14, enterprise air defense teams had destroyed more than 60 aerial targets, with interceptor drones and automated turrets mounted with heavy machine guns serving as their primary assets. According to the ministry, Air Force air commands coordinate with enterprises to determine the operational sectors, personnel, and equipment of each air defense team, and assign targets in accordance with their weaponry and assigned missions. The ministry stated that enterprises bear the operating costs of the air defense teams, while compensation for members is set by corporate management based on task difficulty and skill level. According to an explanatory note published by the ministry on May 1, 2026, 24 enterprises had been authorized as of April of that year, spanning various regions including Kharkiv, Odesa, Kyiv, Poltava, and Zakarpattia oblasts.

In the May 1 explanatory note, the Ministry of Defense stated that the enterprise air defense pilot project was initiated at the ministry's proposal and represents a measure to expand the multi-layered "small air defense" system, which includes air defense teams affiliated with volunteer territorial defense units. According to the ministry, enterprises across Ukraine are targeted almost daily by Russian drone strikes, and businesses have also sought ways to contribute their own resources to regional air defense. The ministry stated that enterprise air defense teams do not operate independently but act as part of an integrated system managed by Air Force air commands.

According to the ministry, enterprises may purchase certain weapons at their own expense as "end users," or request that the Air Force Command temporarily loan weapons and ammunition stored in military depots. On March 2, 2026, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine amended the pilot project regulations via Resolution No. 290 to allow air defense weapons not in use by combat units to be temporarily transferred to enterprises based on individual determinations by the Air Force Command. The ministry stated that personnel joining air defense teams are civilians who have completed training and certification, frequently including reservists not subject to mobilization, parents of multiple children, and female employees. According to the ministry, participation in an air defense team does not grant a deferment from military mobilization.

In the explanatory note, the ministry stated that Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov set the goal of identifying 100% of aerial threats in real time and intercepting more than 95% of missiles and drones. The ministry announced that enterprise air defense reinforces the multi-tiered air defense network and alleviates the burden placed on the air defense assets of Ukraine's defense forces. According to the ministry, an enterprise air defense team that has acquired "Shahed" interceptor drones will not be deployed to intercept ballistic missiles; rather, the air command designates targets in line with each team's actual capabilities.

According to the explanation published by the ministry on May 1, 2026, enterprise participation proceeds through four stages. After an enterprise submits an application expressing its intent to participate to the Ministry of Defense, the ministry reviews the requirements and grants authorization, and the enterprise then enters into a joint decision with an Air Force air command to obtain end-user status for weapons. Subsequently, the enterprise procures air defense assets, forms an air defense team from its employees, completes training and certification, and notifies the military of its readiness. Once the military verifies readiness, the air defense team is integrated into the national air defense command structure and commences its mission.

According to the ministry, training for air defense teams is conducted at civilian training centers and certified schools; while defense forces training centers lack the capacity to instruct civilians, they provide access to training grounds or assist in rigging explosives onto interceptor drones during practical exercises. The ministry stated that while the types of air defense assets enterprises may purchase are not rigidly restricted by law, obtaining the consent of the Air Force Command is required to acquire interceptor drones, electronic warfare equipment, aerial target detection and tracking systems, and specially modified vehicles. The ministry announced that any weapon used by an enterprise air defense team must receive approval from the regional air command, a procedure designed to ensure technical and tactical compatibility with the broader air defense network and prevent interference with the operation of Armed Forces of Ukraine equipment.

Automated Turrets Developed by Brave1 Down Russian Drones Over Kyiv

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine announced on October 29, 2026, that automated turrets developed by the defense innovation cluster Brave1 had destroyed more than 60 targets under the enterprise air defense project. According to the ministry, destroyed targets included jet-powered Russian "Banderol" strike weapons and "Geran-5" drones. The ministry announced that in the month leading up to the October 29 announcement, the automated turrets had also shot down dozens of Russian drones over Kyiv. Geran is the Russian designation for weapons based on Iran's "Shahed" kamikaze drones.

According to the ministry, Brave1 has been developing automated turrets since 2024, and the equipment has progressed beyond the testing phase to be deployed with the Ukrainian Air Force. The ministry stated that the enterprise air defense initiative provides additional protection for enterprise personnel, production facilities, and energy infrastructure, serving as a means to rapidly expand air defense capabilities without adding burdens to the defense forces' air defense network. The ministry announced that enterprise air defense teams have been carrying out combat missions since the spring of 2026.

With its October 30 order, the General Staff set the review timeline for applications to deploy radar and electronic warfare equipment and for frequency allocations for enterprise air defense teams at five business days. According to the General Staff's announcement, approved enterprise air defense teams use radio frequencies under the same rules as the military and operate only verified equipment listed on an official registry. According to data released by the Ministry of Defense on October 14, enterprise air defense teams are categorized into those on active combat duty, those in training, and those in the final stages of preparation, and the ministry stated that the project enables the rapid expansion of air defense capabilities without placing strain on frontline units.

Sources (KST)

• General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine X post (October 30, 2026): https://x.com/GeneralStaffUA/status/2116228650190491785
• Ministry of Defense of Ukraine X post (October 30, 2026): https://x.com/DefenceU/status/2116120931252801601
• Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, "Ukraine’s private air defense has destroyed over 60 targets with automated turrets" (October 29, 2026): https://mod.gov.ua/en/news/ukraine-private-air-defense-turrets-destroy-over-60-targets
• Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, "Майже 100 підприємств долучилися до експериментального проєкту приватної ППО" (October 14, 2026): https://mod.gov.ua/news/maizhe-100-pidpryiemstv-doluchylysia-do-eksperymentalnoho-proiektu-pryvatnoi-ppo
• Ministry of Defense of Ukraine explanatory note, "Приватна ППО: як вона працює та які компанії можуть долучитися" (May 1, 2026): https://mod.gov.ua/explanation/pryvatna-ppo-yak-vona-pratsiuie-ta-yaki-kompanii-mozhut-doluchytysia
• Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution No. 1506 implementation regulations (November 19, 2025): https://www.kmu.gov.ua/storage/app/uploads/public/692/07b/d02/69207bd0283e0158638737.pdf
• Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution No. 1506 (Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine legislation database, November 19, 2025): https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1506-2025-%D0%BF