Kyiv seeks Patriot interceptors as cheap drones defend cities from swarms
Russia is launching its largest aerial attacks of the war, overwhelming Ukrainian defenses with thousands of one-way attack drones and hundreds of advanced missiles. Against that backdrop, the Wall Street Journal gained exclusive access to film the teams of pilots and navigators in Lasar’s Group of the National Guard of Ukraine, a unit that has pivoted from attacks on Russian heavy equipment to hunting drones out of the sky.
Clearing the sky has become a priority four years into the conflict. Ukraine has developed expertise in dealing with waves of Shahed-type drones using machine guns, helicopters and electronic warfare to destroy them, the Journal reported.
Now, as Kyiv appeals to allies for Patriot interceptors to shoot down missiles, it is leaning on cheap drones to defend cities from drone swarms — a shift that has required reassigning offensive units to interceptor missions.
The Journal’s video report showed the pilots and navigators of Lasar’s Group operating in these defensive roles, illustrating how the war’s escalating aerial dimension has forced Ukraine to repurpose units originally focused on attacking Russian heavy equipment.