In the Kharkiv region, a three-tier system is being developed to protect the region and the city of Kharkiv from Russian drones, in particular FPV drones using fibre-optic cables. It is designed to combine the detection and interception of drones on the outskirts of the city, secure corridors along key roads, and countermeasures against UAVs that manage to penetrate Kharkiv’s boundaries, according to Oleg Synyegubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration.
Briefly about the main points
- The first line of defence is intended to intercept FPV drones outside Kharkiv.
- Special safety corridors will be set up on the city’s main thoroughfares.
- The barriers will be installed along the entire length of the Kharkiv Ring Road.
- The third level will detect and destroy drones within the city limits.
Three lines of defence
The first phase involves setting up a system outside Kharkiv. Its purpose will be to detect and intercept FPV drones before they reach the city.
The second tier will consist of dedicated lanes on the city’s main thoroughfares. Protective barriers will also be installed along the entire length of the Kharkiv ring road.
In Kharkiv itself, Level 3 will be in force — to detect and destroy any drones that manage to breach the outer defences.
The nets complement the active countermeasures
FPV drones Fibre-optic communications are routed via cable rather than radio channels. Physical barriers along transport routes are therefore regarded as a supplement to active countermeasures, rather than a replacement for them.
Passive anti-drone defences are already being deployed in the region. As of 23 June, the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration reported plans for 1,408 km of defensive structures, of which nearly 450 km have already been completed. The list of sites is being updated in line with changes in the nature of the threat.
The ring-shaped barrier began to be installed following attacks by FPV drones on vehicles. A 40-year-old driver was killed during an attack on a lorry on 21 May; traffic was temporarily restricted on a section of the road at that time.
From protecting individual roads to a city-wide system
The new model combines long-range active countermeasures, the protection of key routes and operations within the city. This indicates a shift from defending individual areas to a more comprehensive organisation of Kharkiv’s defences against the FPV threat.
28 July Synyegubov He reported that the region, in collaboration with the military, is preparing a pilot project to protect the city from fibre-optic FPVs. He identified the northern outskirts of Kharkiv as the most vulnerable, but warned that the threat is no longer limited to that area alone.
Anti-drone nets is one of the lines of defence, and its effectiveness depends on its integration with other detection and interception measures. The three-tier system is designed precisely to achieve this integration.
