Ukraine aims to establish a specialized maritime defense line utilizing interceptor drones deployed from naval platforms to protect the southern port city of Odesa from ongoing Russian air strikes, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday, July 4.
Speaking in Odesa during a meeting with graduates and cadets of the Institute of the Naval Forces, Zelensky stated that domestic defense industries are already manufacturing hundreds of thousands of interceptor drones. However, he emphasized that securing the maritime domain requires innovative deployment strategies.
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“The know-how we need is to have a line of defense at sea and to deploy interceptor drones there from various platforms, so that we have a line that protects Odesa in the air,” Zelensky said. “Launching interceptors from naval drones presents new technical challenges.”
The president noted that the realities of the full-scale war have shifted tactical focus away from traditional large warships. He highlighted that Ukraine has successfully built a unique fleet of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).
According to Zelensky, the Ukrainian military now possesses the operational capability to deploy between 100 and 200 naval drones during a single operation, noting that these systems have even been utilized to target enemy helicopters.
During his operational trip to the Odesa region, Zelensky also held a briefing with the command of the Ukrainian Navy to discuss maritime security, focusing on countermeasures against ongoing Russian missile and Iranian-designed Shahed loitering munition strikes.
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