Ukraine plans to produce 100-km-range air defense systems

Ukraine has set out plans to produce air defense systems capable of intercepting aerial threats at a distance of 100 kilometers, the government-run Ukrinform news agency reported Friday, citing a senior Defense Ministry official, reported Xinhua.

Ivan Havryliuk, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, said that next year, Ukraine will focus on producing air defense systems of the Koral type with a range of more than 100 kilometers, along with portable anti-aircraft missile systems.

In 2024, Ukraine will allocate a total of 175 billion hryvnias (about 4.8 billion U.S. dollars) for the purchase of missiles and ammunition amid the conflict with Russia, Havryliuk said.

Developed by the Luch Design Bureau, the Koral is an anti-aircraft missile capable of destroying airplanes, helicopters, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. The prototype of the Koral missile was first unveiled to the public in 2021.

Currently, Ukraine relies mostly on foreign air defense systems to protect its skies from missiles and drones.