Local communities will be able to join the project to shoot down enemy drones - Svyrydenko

The Cabinet of Ministers has adopted changes to the experimental project for creating air defense groups within the volunteer formations of territorial communities. Local self-government bodies will be able to join the project and directly fund air defense groups within the volunteer formations of territorial communities. This was announced by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, as reported by UNN.

Details

The government has adopted changes to the experimental project for creating air defense groups within the volunteer formations of territorial communities, which the government has been implementing since June 2025,

According to her, local self-government bodies will be able to join the project and directly fund air defense groups within the volunteer formations of territorial communities.

Communities can direct funds toward the payment of rewards, the purchase of technical equipment, fuel, unmanned systems, and other supplies for the operation of air defense groups.

We are regulating the mechanism for additional rewards for members of air defense groups - payment is made for the confirmed engagement or destruction of an aerial target. Communities will be able to respond more promptly to aerial threats and strengthen the protection of local critical infrastructure without additional burden on combat units,

Coordination and operational management of the groups are carried out by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Group members perform tasks in accordance with the statutes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Addendum

Corresponding changes have been made to Resolution No. 699 "On the implementation of an experimental project to strengthen the air defense of the territory of Ukraine by involving air defense groups" dated June 11, 2025.

According to the changes approved by Resolution No. 643 of May 20, 2026, the participants of the experimental project are the Armed Forces represented by the Air Force Command, the Territorial Defense Forces Command, and other military management bodies and military units determined by the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as local self-government bodies (by consent).

It is noted that the payment of rewards to members of air defense groups is carried out at the expense of local budgets, as well as other sources not prohibited by law, taking into account the results of participation in air defense activities as agreed with the authorized person of the relevant local budget fund manager based on an order from the commander of the military unit of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces on a territorial basis at the request of the commander of the volunteer formation of the territorial community.

Leaders of air defense groups provide the commanders of the volunteer formations of territorial communities (VFTC) with at least two documents confirming the destruction of aerial objects of the aggressor state:

• a report from the leader of the air defense group, detailing the circumstances, location (coordinates), date, time, method of destruction, type of the destroyed aerial object of the aggressor state, and the amount of reward payable to each member of the air defense group who participated in the destruction of the aerial object of the aggressor state;
• reports (dispatches, statements, extracts from the combat log) from commanders of other military units who, based on visual observation or other means, confirm the destruction of aerial objects of the aggressor state;
• data from photo or video recording, technical means of reconnaissance (observation), or video recordings of the air situation display from air defense combat vehicles during combat operations regarding the destroyed aerial objects of the aggressor state.

The decision to recognize aerial objects as destroyed is formalized in the form of an order by the commander of the military unit of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces at the request of the VFTC commander, to which at least two of the aforementioned documents are attached.

The order of the commander of the Territorial Defense military unit specifies the circumstances, location (coordinates), date, time, method of destruction of the aerial object, the type of this object, the specific members of the air defense group who performed the task of destroying the aerial objects of the aggressor state, and the amount of reward payable to each member of the air defense group who performed the combat mission.

The reward for members of an air defense group for one destroyed aerial object is paid in the amounts established for servicemen of the Armed Forces for destroyed equipment.

Also, according to the resolution, local self-government bodies in whose territory air defense groups are formed may decide to direct local budget funds to finance the activities of such groups, in particular:

• for reward payments to members of air defense groups;

• the purchase of vehicles necessary to ensure the operation of the groups;

• the purchase of fuel and lubricants for the vehicles;

• technical maintenance and current repair of vehicles and equipment used by the air defense groups;

• the purchase of unmanned systems, communication, navigation, and observation equipment, codified and non-codified goods, and other property necessary for performing combat tasks;

The financing of air defense group activities is carried out within the expenditures of the respective local budgets.

As a reminder

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal of the Ministry of Defense regarding the implementation during the period of martial law, but for no longer than two years, of an experimental project to strengthen the air defense of the territory of Ukraine by involving air defense groups.