Solutions to win: Come Back Alive Foundation donates 200 searchlights for Ukrainian mobile fire teams
The Come Back Alive charity organization has handed over 200 spotlights to mobile air defense groups of the State Special Transport Service, Rubryka reports.
What's the problem?
As highlighted by the Ukrainian Joint Forces Command, the Russian occupying forces continue aerial strikes on Ukraine, mainly targeting critical infrastructure, military, and energy facilities.
Every day, rockets from various systems and explosive-laden drones are directed toward Ukrainian cities and villages. On New Year's night, Russia launched a record-breaking 90 drones at Ukraine, with 87 being neutralized by air defense.
The air defense system, particularly mobile groups, is crucial in countering these threats. However, identifying Russian drones at night becomes challenging without powerful spotlights.
What's the solution?
According to the Air Force, jeep fire groups are needed to compensate for the shortage of long-range anti-aircraft missile systems. These groups effectively destroy enemy UAVs.
"Mobile fire groups will continue to grow because there is no alternative but to protect facilities locally, on-site. We need to understand that large-scale air defense must protect the country's strategic objects, defend Ukraine from Russian aviation in Ukrainian skies, and play a role at higher altitudes and greater distances," said Yurii Ihnat, the Air Force spokesperson.
How does it work?
Mobile air defense groups of the State Special Transport Service are designed to eliminate Russian drones in Ukrainian airspace.
The foundation stressed that 200 spotlights, handed over to the fire groups, safeguard the sky from hostile UAVs. The charitable organization provided the State Special Transport Service with equipment and technical means worth UAH 10,917,863.
This equipment has already been deployed in combat, both at the front and in safeguarding the most critical infrastructure objects of the state. "In the very first night, this equipment proved itself in combat duty. With its help, enemy targets, including Shahed, heading towards Lviv Oblast, were destroyed," said the fund.
In addition to searchlights, the assistance package includes:
- 200 tablets for monitoring the airspace situation,
- 100 charging stations designed for uninterrupted power supply in field conditions.
- Military personnel from the foundation also received 200 laser pointers and 200 memory cards.
The provided equipment aids the fire support groups of the State Special Transport Service in detecting enemy drones and effectively aiming at them.
As a reminder, Come Back Alive previously reported on equipping all units of the Center Air Command with mobile control points. This was done within the joint project with "Nova Poshta" titled "Pack the Sky — Upgrade the Air Defense."
The comprehensive communication hardware was developed in Ukraine, considering the Ukrainian military personnel's experience in the fight against Russian occupiers. The charitable organization does not disclose the exact quantity of transferred communication hardware for security reasons.