In the context of intensifying Russian drone attacks and an insufficient number of soldiers, a solution for Ukraine is to call upon civilian volunteers to operate interceptor drones and defend cities behind the front line, proposes the Ukrainian NGO Dignitas. Kiev already has thousands of civilians serving voluntarily in the territorial defense forces.
“We want to allow volunteer groups, civilians, to intercept the Shahed drones,” said Liuba Șipovici, the head of the non-profit organization Dignitas, which raises funds and helps train drone operators.
Dignitas is discussing with defense officials to develop a legal framework that would allow new units of civilian volunteers to shoot down Russian drones.
“We do not have enough military forces even to close the front lines,” Șipovici said in an interview with Euromaidan Press. “The priority for the army is the front, while these volunteers would stay in cities and protect the territory within the range of the cities they live in.”
However, the initiative is a complicated one from a legal and not only standpoint.
“We are almost ready to submit these changes to the Cabinet’s attention, so they can be approved within a month,” a source from the Ministry of Defense, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, told Euromaidan Press.
Another issue is the permission to operate radar systems, a sensitive matter that requires the approval of intelligence services.
The radar would give civilians access to potentially sensitive information, a major issue if a unit is compromised.
According to the Institute for Science and International Security, Russia’s attacks have increased from 2,629 launches in January, an average of 84 per night, to 5,643 launches in September, an average of 188 per night.