The Cabinet of Ministers has changed the rules for the operation of private air defense. Enterprises will be able to protect the facilities of other companies under a contract, transfer air defense equipment to one another, and involve group members from the age of 18. This is reported by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

What will change in the operation of private air defense

The government has provided for six main changes:

Enterprises that have already joined the project will be able to protect the facilities of other companies under a contract.

Companies will be able to transfer air defense equipment to one another for use by a joint decision with the Air Force Command.

Residents of Defence City and enterprises that the Ministry of Defense has designated as critically important will be able to join the project.

Private air defense groups have been allowed to use manned aircraft.

The possibilities for using interceptor drones have been expanded: enterprises have been allowed to use warheads and electric detonators.

The minimum age of members of enterprise air defense groups has been lowered from 21 to 18 years.

Private groups will continue to operate under the control of military command and will be part of Ukraine's overall air defense system.

Which businesses have already joined

Almost 100 enterprises have joined the experimental private air defense project, the Ministry of Defense reported in November 2026. At that time, combat missions were being carried out by groups from only six enterprises, which destroyed more than 60 air targets.

According to BBC News Ukraine, applications were submitted by Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukrenergo, ROSHEN, the Pivdenne Design Bureau, the administrations of the seaports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Izmail, as well as the water utilities and heat and power companies of Sumy and Lviv, among others.

Specialized private air defense operators that provide such services to businesses also joined. Among them are Carmine Sky, Guardia, SHERIFF, as well as the drone manufacturer General Cherry.

Nova Poshta officially announced the creation of its own private air defense group on October 27, 2026. The company has already had shootdowns of Russian Shaheds.

Not all companies decided to create their own air defense groups. The pharmaceutical company Darnytsia abandoned this idea due to the high cost of equipment and its maintenance, the chair of the company's board of directors, Kateryna Zahorii, said in October at the Kyiv International Economic Forum in October.

According to her, the company was one step away from launching the project, but threats change every three to four months. This would require constant updating of protection equipment and could increase the cost of medicines. Darnytsia invests in shelters, monitoring of air threats and the Kupol warning system.