Oleksandr Syrskyi

New Capabilities

Overseeing integration of interceptor drones into Ukraine's layered air defense

Russia began bombing Ukrainian cities with Iranian-made Shahed drones in October 2022. Over three and a half years later, Ukraine has transformed that threat into an exportable edge: low-cost interceptor drones, as cheap as $2,100 each, now handling over 70% of Shahed kills. The Pentagon, NATO allies, and Gulf states sought these systems, culminating in Ukraine's Gulf defense pacts—first with Saudi Arabia on March 27, 2026, followed by 10-year deals with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar on March 28 during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's tour. Ukraine has deployed over 200 counter-drone specialists to Gulf states, with the Pentagon and others in procurement talks.

Updated Mar 6

Force in Play

Leading Ukrainian operations in Kupiansk direction

Russian forces have spent more than two years trying to recapture Kupiansk, a railway hub they lost in five days during Ukraine's 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive. On February 9, 2026, Russian troops launched a mechanized assault east of the city, claiming to have captured the villages of Petropavlivka and Stepova Novoselivka—though Ukrainian forces reported repelling multiple attacks in the same area. The contested advance continues a pattern of Russian claims that outpace verified territorial control.

Updated Feb 9