The role of administrative law in countering enemy UAVs in the rear: challenges and institutional capacity

The article is devoted to the study of administrative and legal mechanisms for countering threats from enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the rear regions of Ukraine under martial law. The author draws attention to the transformation of security priorities in connection with the active use of drones by the enemy for attacks on the civilian population and critical civilian infrastructure, which requires a rethinking of the role of administrative law in responding to new technological challenges. The article outlines a range of administrative and legal problems associated with the unpreparedness of individual executive bodies to effectively respond to threats from the air, as well as the fragmentation of the current regulatory and legal framework in this area. It is determined that the main functions of responding to such threats are mainly entrusted to military formations, while the administrative and legal potential of state authorities in the rear remains insufficiently involved. Particular attention is paid to the issue of the institutional capacity of local authorities and the State Emergency Service, the National Police, etc. to create and implement administrative and legal instruments to respond to challenges related to hostile UAVs in the rear. The author concludes that it is necessary to form a stable regulatory and legal framework for responding to threats from drones in the rear, as well as to intensify administrative and legal activities on the ground. As a result, directions for improving administrative legislation are proposed, taking into account the experience of a full-scale war and drone attacks on peaceful settlements in Ukraine, in particular regarding the implementation of a joint civil-military air traffic control system, increasing the readiness of state authorities and creating conditions for a rapid response to threats from UAVs. The author proposes his own scheme of interaction between the military and civil authorities of Ukraine to counter threats from hostile UAVs in rear settlements. The scheme is built taking into account current regulatory and legal acts. A number of technical and organizational solutions to counter threats from UAVs have also been proposed.