United24 foundation together with monobank and blogger Lachenkov have started an ambitious campaign on raising $2.7 million to buy a "Shahed Hunter" – the code name stands for an air defense system that, according to the initiators, will help the Armed Forces of Ukraine to counter Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, that are continuously launched by russians against the cities of Ukraine.
"Our goal is to raise 100 million hryvnias for a drone-countering system. We cannot disclose its manufacturer and name, but it will surely help detect and destroy enemy drones. Save our infrastructure from strikes. These kinds of systems are in service with NATO countries," wrote Mykhailo Fedorov on his social media as he announced the fundraiser.
Read more: Iran's Shahed-136 Kamikaze Drone: How to Identify, Look And Sound From the Air (Video)
Currently, the sum of donations has surpassed the goal, the required amount was collected in 8 hours. However, the campaign continues.
According to the reports from the Ukrainian Air Force, air defense units of Ukraine shot down an average of 6 to 13 Shahed-type loitering munitions on a daily basis. That is about 60 to 75 percent of the total. For this purpose, a variety of weapons and means is used: from interception by fighter aircraft to small arms fire and Polish MANPADS. More than 20 drones were launched on October 10 attack, along with a swarm of russian missiles.
"We are forced to deter these attacks using Soviet-era weapons, which is in deficit on top of that," said the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that day, summarizing the results of the russian strikes.
Minister of Defense of Ukraine stated earlier today that russia still has about 300 kamikaze drones of Iranian manufacture at disposal, and plans to procure several thousand more from Iran. At the same time, he noted, Ukrainian air defense has already learned how to deal with them, thanks to the study of samples that got into the hands of Ukrainian researchers.
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