Ukraine is working on developing its own air defense systems, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview with the Ukrainian news outlet TSN on Jan. 19.
Ukraine has lobbied international partners for more air defense capabilities in the wake of intensifying Russian strikes targeting energy infrastructure.
"Back in Soviet times, we actually produced all the control systems for anti-aircraft systems. That is, we have the capacities and capabilities to create, and we are working on creating, our own domestic air defense complex," Syrskyi told TSN.
Ukraine's homegrown system aims to match the U.S.-made Patriot air defenses, he said.
Syrskyi said that the threat posed by Russia's new intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Oreshnik, is strong motivation for Kyiv to produce its own anti-missile air defenses. Only a few air defense systems can repel the Oreshnik, Syrskyi said, and Ukraine does not yet possess these capabilities.
"This encourages us to create our own air defense system, which would be not just an air defense system, but also an anti-missile system," he said.
"This encourages us to actively negotiate with our allies to get such a system. And, of course, this should encourage us to create a modern missile system that could be a deterrent against the use of such weapons by the Russians."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Western air defense systems are incapable of intercepting Oreshnik missiles, even going so far as to propose a "high-tech duel" with the West that would involve launching the Oreshnik at Kyiv.
The U.S. operates the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), designed to intercept intermediate-range ballistic missiles. The system has not been supplied to Ukraine and, therefore, has never been tested against the Oreshnik.
Syrskyi said in the interview that work had already begun on developing Ukraine's own anti-missile system.
"The work is underway, it is being actively pursued in this direction. I hope that we will soon get the desired result for us," he said.
Ukraine aims to spend a record $35 billion on weapons production in 2025, according to Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. The Ukrainian government intends to provide $17 billion, while the rest may be financed by allies.
The U.K. has agreed to finance production of air defense systems and long-range weapons in Ukraine, Umerov announced on Jan. 13.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
