German Skynex air-defense systems showed low effectiveness in repelling a Russian air attack, Stern reports, citing an internal Ukrainian Armed Forces report.
According to the publication, the attack involved Geran drones striking an industrial facility in western Ukraine on April 1, 2026. The site was protected by two Skynex batteries, comprising eight 35-mm anti-aircraft guns, two radars, and two command posts.
The report says that, within minutes, three of the eight anti-aircraft guns went out of service. The stated causes were hydraulic-system failures, a tracking-radar malfunction, and a jammed loading mechanism. According to the document, only two guns were able to maintain stable tracking of an aerial target.
Ukrainian military officials concluded that Rheinmetall’s system showed low readiness for combat use and operated “extremely unreliably.” The report also claims that Skynex’s real-world performance did not match the specifications stated by the manufacturer.
Rheinmetall rejected those conclusions. The company said the systems had proved “extremely effective and reliable,” and attributed any possible problems to operator error.
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