Ukraine seeks additional Korkut air defense systems after combat testing

Türkiye supplied Ukraine with a small batch of Korkut air defense systems earlier this year to counter drones, and Kyiv expressed interest in acquiring additional systems after testing them in combat conditions.

According to Report, citing Middle East Eye (MEE), several sources familiar with the matter disclosed the information.

Ukraine imported a small number of Turkish-made Korkut air defense systems. A Korkut battery typically consists of three weapon system vehicles and one command-and-control vehicle. The sources did not disclose how many units had been deployed in the combat zone.

The Korkut system, manufactured by ASELSAN, uses anti-aircraft guns to engage aerial targets, including cruise missiles and drones. The system is designed to counter FPV and tethered drones using 25-mm smart ammunition.

A Ukrainian official who spoke to MEE on condition of anonymity said Korkut had demonstrated fairly high effectiveness in countering Russian attacks.

According to the official, some problems had arisen during the system's operation, but they could be resolved through minor adjustments.

The official said the system could already be regarded as combat-proven and that Ukraine was interested in purchasing additional units.

"If the price is reasonable, we would like to buy more," the official said.

Reports emerged as early as 2021 that ASELSAN had offered to sell the systems to the Ukrainian military during a defense exhibition.