Investigations were carried out at the multistage hybrid Ti:sapphire–KrF laser facility GARPUN-MTW on the direct amplification of TW-power picosecond UV laser pulses in e-beam-pumped KrF amplifiers and propagation along a 100 m laboratory air pass. The experiments identified the main nonlinear effects and their impact on the amplification efficiency, amplifier optics degradation, beam quality and focusability, and the evolution of radiation spectra. The research was performed towards an implementation of the shock-ignition concept of inertial-confinement fusion using krypton fluoride laser drivers.