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Ukrainian postal and courier company Nova Poshta has started its own private air defense force and shot down Russian attack drones targeting their facilities, Vyacheslav Klymov, co-owner of the Nova group of companies, revealed at the Kyiv International Economic Forum on Oct. 26.
"We are one of the few companies that has implemented this project. I don't want to disclose the numbers, but we have destroyed 'Shahed' drones," Klimov said.
Nova Poshta is the largest private postal and courier company in Ukraine, operating over 15,817 branches across the country, and employing over 34,000 people. Its post offices and distribution centers have frequently come under Russian attack.
Despite the ongoing war, business is going well for Nova Poshta. The company quadrupled its net profit compared with last year, according to financial reports published on April 27.
Klimov also emphasised the importance of companies having their own private firefighting capabilities, rather than just waiting for the response of state authorities.
Nova Poshta employees frequently put out significant fires on their premises before the arrival of state emergency service firefighters, Klimov said.
"Now big businesses are looking for fire engines in Europe in order to create their own services. This is our property… who can forbid me from putting out a fire on my own territory?" he said.
Since late summer, Russia has been attacking Ukraine with jet-powered drones, adding to the now-familiar threat posed by conventional Shahed-type drones and missiles. Between larger assaults, successive waves of jet-powered drones now arrive day and night.
Russia's jet-powered drones target civilian infrastructure such as supermarkets, schools, shopping malls, telecommunications infrastructure, data centers, gas stations, and medical facilities.