Ukrainian air defenses operating at 74% effectiveness, military chief says
Ukraine's air defense systems are currently about 74% effective but still require improvement to better protect critical infrastructure, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Oct. 11.
The remarks come amid a sharp increase in Russian attacks targeting Ukraine's energy sector. One such strike, carried out overnight on Oct. 10, caused widespread power outages across several regions.
"Over the past month, (Russia) has increased the number of air strikes 1.3 times," Syrskyi said in a post on Telegram. "While our air defense is approximately 74% effective, we must make further efforts to protect rear-area energy facilities, critical infrastructure, and logistics."
The comments follow President Volodymyr Zelensky's criticism of Kyiv authorities for their supposedly poor protection of critical infrastructure in the city.
Syrskyi also highlighted Ukraine's progress with the DeepStrike program, which focuses on boosting the effectiveness of long-range strikes against targets inside Russian territory to degrade its military capabilities.
"We are destroying facilities involved in the production of fuel, lubricants, explosives, and other key components of Russia's military-industrial complex. Notably, oil processing in Russia has been reduced by 21%," Syrskyi said.
The commander added that Ukraine is also continuing to develop a new type of military unit under the Air Force — unmanned air defense systems — as part of its ongoing modernization efforts.
In recent attacks, Russia has consistently targeted Ukraine’s heating systems, power grids, and gas infrastructure — all of which are under growing strain as colder weather sets in.
Russia launched mass missile and drone strikes on Oct. 3 at gas production facilities in Ukraine's Kharkiv and Poltava oblasts.
State-owned oil and gas giant Naftogaz called the attack the "most massive" to date against its gas production since the start of the full-scale war, saying Russia had launched 35 missiles and 60 drones at its facilities.
Just two days later, Russia carried out another large-scale attack on gas infrastructure critical to residential heating, causing significant damage and destruction, according to Naftogaz.
Russian attacks have destroyed more than half of Ukraine's natural gas production capacity ahead of winter, according to Bloomberg.
As a result of the strikes, Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk announced on Oct. 7 that Ukraine plans to increase natural gas imports by 30%.
Kateryna Hodunova
