Goal is to build anti-drone dome over Ukraine, Fedorov says on Yelizarov’s appointment
Drone Industry
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has signed an order appointing Pavlo Yelizarov, known by the callsign "Lazar," as the new deputy commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
He reported this on social media, Censor.NET reports.
Yelizarov to be responsible for developing small air defense and drones
"The world was not prepared for a war of this type. But we are forced to respond — quickly, systematically, and technologically. That is why, on the President’s instruction, we are changing our approach to protecting the sky. Transforming such a system does not happen in a few days, but we need to start today in order to ultimately close this issue," he noted.
According to Fedorov, Yelizarov will be responsible for developing small air defense and the drone interception track. Under his leadership, Lasar’s Group became one of the most effective units in the Defense Forces: the team destroyed enemy equipment worth more than $13 billion, and every fifth destroyed Russian tank is the result of its work. Now this experience is planned to be scaled up nationwide.
What is the key goal for Yelizarov?
"Our task is to build an anti-drone dome over Ukraine. A system that does not react after the fact, but destroys the threat while it is still on approach. For this, we need people who have already proven effective in modern warfare. Lazar is exactly one of them.
It is difficult to transform the army when the enemy strikes every day. But we have no choice. We must change approaches, structures, and the logic of work, so that technologies actually work on the battlefield rather than remaining in presentations. The result will not come tomorrow, but we are building the system already today.
"The anti-drone dome is not about the future. It is about survival today and the ability for Ukraine to develop even in wartime," Fedorov added.
What is known about Pavlo Yelizarov?
- Pavlo Yelizarov is a Ukrainian military commander and an officer of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He led the combat unit Lasar’s Group, which specializes in the use of drones and precision strikes on targets.
- Yelizarov is considered one of the commanders who were among the first to systematically implement modern drone tactics on the battlefield, combining technology with practical combat experience.
