Kyiv to allocate $6.2 million to drone interceptor program

KYIV (Reuters) -Kyiv will allocate 260 million hryvnias ($6.2 million) for a drone interceptor program to defend the capital's skies from Russian drones, city authorities said on Friday.

Russia has stepped up its combined attacks on the Ukrainian capital in recent weeks, launching hundreds of drones and missiles in hours-long night assaults which caused damage to most of the city districts.

"These funds will be used not only to purchase equipment, but also to create an effective response system," the head of Kyiv city military administration Tymur Tkachenko wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

The city said it planned to involve additional funds outside the existing budget, without specifying how much will be needed.

Tkachenko said a pilot project had proven its initial effectiveness by intercepting almost 550 drones launched by Russia to attack the Kyiv region in the last few months.

The deadly attacks have prompted Ukrainian leaders to renew their urgent calls for air defence help from allies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has also reported on the successful use of interceptor drones to help repel large attacks and said work was ongoing on scaling the technology.

At the Ukraine Recovery Conference this week, he mentioned investment in this type of air defence in meetings with Dutch, German, and American partners.

Authorities plan to open a center for training interceptor drone operators and creating additional mobile units in the capital and its suburbs, Tkachenko said.

(Reporting by Anastasiia MalenkoEditing by Alexandra Hudson)