Stern: Skynex Systems Used in Ukraine Reportedly Facing Technical Issues

The German Skynex air defense artillery system, manufactured by Rheinmetall, demonstrated poor combat effectiveness while repelling a Russian air strike.

This was reported by Stern, citing an internal report from the Ukrainian military.

The internal document describes the systems’ performance during a Russian attack that took place on April 1, 2026. At that time, an enemy Shahed-type drone attacked an industrial facility in western Ukraine.

Two Skynex systems were tasked with defending this industrial site. The air defense group consisted of eight 35-mm artillery units, two radar stations, and two command posts.

The Russian kamikaze drone managed to strike the facility despite the fact that the systems had several opportunities to intercept it. Two independent witnesses confirmed that the drone hit its target.

The authors of the report attribute the failure to complete the combat mission to a series of technical malfunctions and failures in the target tracking process. Within a few minutes, three of the eight available air defense systems failed.

The causes of the equipment failure included defects in the hydraulic system, a malfunction in the tracking radar, and a jam in the loading mechanism. Ultimately, only two of the eight guns were able to maintain stable tracking of the enemy aerial target.

Ukrainian military officials concluded that the equipment demonstrated low operational readiness and performed “extremely unreliably.” The document states that the system’s actual performance did not meet the manufacturer’s stated technical specifications.

Representatives of the Rheinmetall declined to comment on specific details of combat use or provide data for security reasons. At the same time, the company completely rejects the allegations that have been made public.

A spokesperson for the German company stated that this weapon system has proven itself in Ukraine to be “extremely effective and reliable.” According to him, the company had previously received such an assessment from the Ukrainian side itself.

A German military representative noted that too few units are currently deployed on the front lines to draw definitive conclusions about the Skynex’s performance. The agency also suggested that errors by technical personnel could have caused the equipment to malfunction.

Skynex is a modular, short-range air defense system designed to combat drones, cruise missiles, helicopters, and low-flying aircraft. A standard battery consists of four 35-mm artillery mounts. These guns are capable of firing up to 1,000 rounds per minute using programmable ammunition.