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Ukraine Reveals Secretly Delivered Skyranger 35—and the Footage Suggests There’s More Than One
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukraine has finally shown Rheinmetall’s cutting-edge Skyranger 35 in action—but the biggest surprise is not that the system has arrived. Footage released by the Ukrainian military suggests the powerful 35mm drone killer may have been quietly defending Ukrainian skies for months before its existence was publicly acknowledged.
Ukraine has publicly revealed its Rheinmetall Skyranger 35 air defense system for the first time, confirming that the latest German-built anti-aircraft gun is already operational and may have been serving with Ukrainian forces for considerably longer than previously believed.
The 1020th Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Regiment released the footage on September 3, showing the Leopard 1-based system and a brief sequence in which it engages an aerial target.
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The appearance is significant because no delivery of the systems had previously been publicly confirmed. Defense Express assessed that at least some Skyranger 35s therefore appear to have reached Ukraine without a public announcement.
Even more intriguingly, the footage itself may be months old.
Ukraine may have had Skyranger 35 since winter
Although the video was released in September, Defense Express noted several visual clues suggesting it was recorded no later than around March 2026.
Trees visible in the footage are still bare, while Ukrainian air defense personnel are wearing cold-weather uniforms.
If that assessment is correct, Skyranger 35 systems were already operating in Ukraine months before their first public appearance.
Ukraine’s Air Force has released the first footage of a German-supplied Skynex AAA system shooting down a Russian Kaliber cruise missile with a salvo of Oerlikon 35mm AHEAD airburst rounds. pic.twitter.com/5mGlBIxS6X
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) July 4, 2026
The commander of one system, identified by the call sign Timati, offered another clue when describing his experience with the new weapon.
He said operating the Skyranger 35 feels like working aboard a “spaceship” because of the number of modern technologies incorporated into the system.
More importantly, Timati said his unit was “among the first” to receive the Skyranger 35.
That wording suggests the vehicle shown in the footage was not necessarily Ukraine’s only example even at the time the video was recorded.
The revelation also challenges earlier assessments by some defense-aid trackers that Ukraine had still not received the Skyranger 35 by summer 2026.
Leopard 1 turned into a modern drone killer
For Ukraine, Rheinmetall paired the Skyranger 35 turret with the tracked chassis of the Leopard 1 tank.
The older tank platform provides mobility and protection, while the turret transforms it into a highly modern short-range air defense vehicle.
The Leopard chassis used for the Ukrainian systems has been refurbished and modernized. Footage from inside the vehicle also appears to show updated electronics available to the driver.
The centerpiece, however, is Rheinmetall’s KDG 35/1000 revolver cannon.
🇺🇦🇩🇪 Skynex is a modern shield protecting Ukraine’s skies.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 12, 2026
Its 35mm Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3, guided by the X-TAR3D radar, tracks threats and destroys drones and missiles with precision AHEAD ammunition.
Ukraine’s air defense is putting Skynex to work in combat.
Thank you,… pic.twitter.com/01sWogeDaJ
The 35mm weapon can fire at rates of up to 1,000 rounds per minute and effectively engage aerial targets at ranges of up to approximately 4 kilometers.
Against targets such as drones and cruise missiles, the system can use programmable 35×228mm airburst ammunition.
Rather than requiring a direct impact, these rounds can be programmed to detonate at a calculated point near the target, releasing a cloud of projectiles into its flight path.
That capability is particularly valuable against relatively small and fast-moving aerial targets.
The newly released Ukrainian footage also provides a brief view from inside the combat compartment during an engagement. Even in the short sequence, the Skyranger’s rapid rate of fire and digitally controlled automatic target tracking are visible.
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First public look at a system already fighting
The most important revelation is therefore not simply that Ukraine has acquired another Western air defense system.
It is that Skyranger 35 appears to have moved beyond promised aid and into operational service without a public rollout, while Ukrainian crews were already learning to use it against real aerial threats.
Exactly how many systems Ukraine currently operates remains undisclosed.
But the commander’s statement that his crew was “among the first” to receive one suggests Ukraine’s Skyranger presence could extend beyond the single vehicle finally shown on camera.
Previously, a Ukrainian Skynex air defense artillery system destroyed 12 Russian aerial targets in a single battle, including one cruise missile and 11 Shahed-type drones, according to Ukraine’s Western Air Command.
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