Ukraine’s Air Force has publicly demonstrated the Rheinmetall Skyranger 35 anti-aircraft system for the first time, confirming that the system has already been deployed with Ukrainian forces, national media outlet Defense Express reports.
Footage released by Ukraine’s 1020th Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Regiment shows a Skyranger 35 mounted on a Leopard 1 tank chassis engaging an aerial target. According to Defense Express, the video also confirms the previously undisclosed delivery of an unspecified number of Skyranger 35 systems to Ukraine.
The footage may have been recorded as early as March 2026. The system’s commander, using the call sign “Timati,” said his unit received the Skyranger 35 “among the first”, potentially indicating that several systems are already operating in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian version of the Skyranger 35 is mounted on a modernised Leopard 1 chassis and armed with a 35 mm KDG cannon capable of firing up to 1,000 rounds per minute. It uses 35×228 mm programmable ammunition designed to engage targets including drones and cruise missiles.
The system features a digital fire-control system with automatic target tracking and has an effective engagement range of up to 4 kilometres, according to Defense Express.
Ukraine is expected to receive additional Skyranger 35 systems, although the exact number and delivery schedule remain undisclosed. Rheinmetall has previously said that its contract for additional Skyranger systems for Ukraine is worth hundreds of millions of euros.