Zelenskyy: Command structure responsible for countering drones has been agreed

The structure of the new command responsible for countering Russian drones has been agreed upon. About reported president Volodymyr Zelenskyy following a meeting on the development of small-scale anti-drone air defense.

"We have agreed on the structure of the new command, which will be responsible for this particular area of air defense, and new approaches to management," the head of state said.

He added that he had identified key tasks for the Air Force team and the Ministry of Defense.

The first is to strengthen protection against Russian drones in cities such as Kherson, Nikopol, and the border communities of Sumy region, where Russians have organized a virtually constant "safari" against people.

"Every day, they strike at residential buildings, ordinary infrastructure, and civilian transport. We need more protection and our actions in response," the President said.

The second task is to scale up the counteraction to Shaheds and other Russian attack drones. There will be more borders and more lines of defense, Zelenskyy said.

"Thirdly, we need to share the experience of successful units in the Ukrainian Defense Forces so that every solution that worked for one unit can be successfully used by other Ukrainian units," the President emphasized.

• On January 28, 2026, Fedorov reported that under the leadership of deputy Commander Air Force of Ukraine Pavel Elizarov the Air Force will form a "small" air defense unit to be headed by Colonel Yevhen Khlebnikov.
• After the appointment of the new deputy commander of the Air Force, Fedorov emphasized that the task now is to build "anti-drone dome" over Ukraine.