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Watch: Ukraine’s Skynex Air Defense System Obliterates Russian Shahed Drone in Seconds
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Recently released footage shows the Skynex air defense system downing a Russian Shahed drone during a mass attack on August 21. The video captures the system tracking and destroying the target within seconds, Air Command “West” wrote on August 26.
According to the Air Force, Russian forces launched a large-scale strike on the West of Ukraine that day. Ukrainian defenses managed to intercept one aeroballistic missile, 11 cruise missiles, and 42 attack drones.
AFU Skynex in action pic.twitter.com/tBW1ZAwN9V
— IgorGirkin (@GirkinGirkin) August 26, 2025
The Skynex system, supplied by Germany’s Rheinmetall, played a key role in that defense. Introduced in 2021, Skynex is designed to protect airfields and critical infrastructure against aerial threats, including drones, cruise missiles, and precision-guided munitions.
A typical Skynex battery consists of four 35mm Oerlikon Mk3 cannons, a radar station, and a command post. Each cannon can fire up to 1,000 rounds per minute, with an effective range of 4 kilometers.
The system uses programmable AHEAD (Advanced Hit Efficiency and Destruction) ammunition, which bursts near the target and releases a cloud of tungsten sub-projectiles — highly effective against small, fast-moving drones like the Shahed.
Unlike missile-based air defense systems, Skynex offers a more cost-effective solution. Rheinmetall estimates the cost of engaging a target at around €4,000 per round, significantly cheaper than using surface-to-air missiles such as IRIS-T.
“By intercepting and neutralizing Shahed drones in real time, Skynex provides a crucial layer of protection against Russia’s ongoing air campaign,” Ukrainian defense officials noted.
Earlier, reports emerged that Ukraine’s defense industry, working in cooperation with European partners, has mastered the repair of Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems.
