The German Skynex air defense system, supplied to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF), has shown low effectiveness in repelling a Russian air strike.

According to a report by Stern, the Skynex system was used to protect an industrial facility in western Ukraine from a drone attack by Russian «Geranium» drones.

Technical Issues

As stated in the internal report by the UAF, two Skynex batteries, consisting of eight 35mm anti-aircraft guns, two radar stations, and two command posts, were deployed to protect the facility.

However, within minutes of the start of the attack, almost all of the air defense systems were out of commission due to hydraulic system malfunctions.

UAF Conclusions

The UAF concluded that the German Skynex system, produced by Rheinmetall, showed low readiness for combat use and operated «extremely unreliably».

Additionally, the report claims that the actual characteristics of the Skynex system did not match those claimed by the manufacturer.