Ukraine is operating in need of a few of its key missiles used to shoot down Russian drones and missiles. Ukrainian fighter jets at the moment are utilizing an previous missile designed within the Seventies.
The missile is named the R-60. It was thought of outdated when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However it’s now getting used once more by Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jets, in response to Euro Maidan Press.
The transfer to make use of previous missiles comes as Russia is sending extra fast-moving drones and missiles into Ukraine. These embrace the Geran-3, Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones, in addition to Banderol missiles. A few of these weapons can journey at speeds of as much as 700 kmph. This makes them more durable to cease with ground-based air defence techniques and slower interceptor drones.
Ukraine is due to this fact utilizing fighter jets to chase and destroy them. Its fleet consists of Western-made F-16s and older Soviet-designed MiG-29s. The MiG-29 can carry a number of kinds of missiles. These embrace the R-60, R-73 and R-27. The R-73 has been the popular missile for attacking quick Russian drones.
Ukraine had a big inventory of those missiles when the struggle started in 2022. It’s also believed to have obtained extra from its allies. However provides are restricted. Some components of the missiles had been made in Ukraine, whereas they had been assembled in Russia.
Ukraine has additionally used R-73 missiles in roles they weren’t initially designed for. They’ve been fitted to some ground-based air defence techniques after Ukraine started operating in need of missiles for its Soviet-era Osa techniques. Some have additionally been used on robotic boats.
The scarcity is now forcing Ukraine to deliver again the older R-60.
Final month, an R-60 missile was seen within the wreckage of a Ukrainian MiG-29 that crashed. This week, a video additionally circulated displaying a MiG-29 capturing down a Russian Banderol missile with an R-60 whereas flying at very low altitude.
The missile scarcity spreading to F-16s actually issues me.
As a result of on the identical trip of nowhere we’re seeing Ukrainian MiGs flying fight sorties with older R-60 missiles and never R-73s.This is a latest video of an R-60 getting used in opposition to a banderol cruise missile : pic.twitter.com/UMhtXW2o2p
— capt. Wild Invoice Kelso (@_wild_billkelso) September 4, 2026
Ukraine can also be operating in need of missiles for its F-16 fighter jets, with some pilots flying missions with solely the plane’s built-in gun. The F-16 usually makes use of AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles to shoot down Russian drones and cruise missiles, in response to Euro Maidan Press.
However Ukraine is now rationing these missiles as a result of its provides are restricted. The scarcity is much more severe as a result of AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles are additionally utilized by Ukraine’s NASAMS air-defence techniques.
On the identical time, Russia is growing the variety of quick drones it sends into Ukraine. Russia reportedly launched round 1,500 jet-powered Geran drones in July and about 2,500 in August. These sooner drones are additionally more durable to shoot down.
Their interception price reportedly fell to round 50% in July. It could have since improved to between 60% and 70%. That’s nonetheless far under the roughly 90% interception price Ukraine has achieved in opposition to slower Geran-1 and Geran-2 drones.
“No one needs interception charges within the 60s/70s,” Michael Bohnert, an analyst at RAND, mentioned.
