Ukraine is preparing its air defenses with upgraded weapons systems to combat Russian assaults on the power grid during winter, Reuters reported on Sept. 7.
"We had fewer (systems) last winter. Now we have been given more, and the effectiveness will be better," Joint Forces Commander Serhii Naiev told Reuters during an interview in Zhytomyr.
Ukrainian air defense can now take advantage of German-made Gepard systems and U.S.-made M2 Browning machine guns.
The Gepard system has successfully shot down five Shahed drones since August, which the Ukrainian military labeled "a 100% success rate."
Reuters spoke to an air defense crewman, identified as Anton, who helped shoot down two drones using the Gepard.
"Adrenaline, emotional overload... you can't convey it with words," he said. "We are not frightened. It drives us on to work and destroy targets in the Ukrainian sky."
Last winter, Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure destroyed nearly half of the country's energy systems. Russian strikes deliberately targeted power plants and critical infrastructure, forcing Ukrainians to face a winter of emergency shutdowns and power shortages.
Most of the damaged facilities have now been repaired, and with the new weapons systems Ukraine is in a better position to defend the state grid against Russia's winter offensive.
Daria Shulzhenko
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