Ukraine is running short of some of its key missiles used to shoot down Russian drones and missiles. Ukrainian fighter jets are now using an old missile designed in the 1970s.
The missile is called the R-60. It was considered outdated when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But it is now being used again by Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jets, according to Euro Maidan Press.
The move to use old missiles comes as Russia is sending more fast-moving drones and missiles into Ukraine. These include the Geran-3, Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones, as well as Banderol missiles. Some of these weapons can travel at speeds of up to 700 kmph. This makes them harder to stop with ground-based air defence systems and slower interceptor drones.
Ukraine is therefore using fighter jets to chase and destroy them. Its fleet includes Western-made F-16s and older Soviet-designed MiG-29s. The MiG-29 can carry several types of missiles. These include the R-60, R-73 and R-27. The R-73 has been the preferred missile for attacking fast Russian drones.
Ukraine had a large stock of these missiles when the war began in 2022. It is also believed to have received more from its allies. But supplies are limited. Some parts of the missiles were made in Ukraine, while they were assembled in Russia.
Ukraine has also used R-73 missiles in roles they were not originally designed for. They have been fitted to some ground-based air defence systems after Ukraine began running short of missiles for its Soviet-era Osa systems. Some have also been used on robotic boats.
The shortage is now forcing Ukraine to bring back the older R-60.
Last month, an R-60 missile was seen in the wreckage of a Ukrainian MiG-29 that crashed. This week, a video also circulated showing a MiG-29 shooting down a Russian Banderol missile with an R-60 while flying at very low altitude.
The missile shortage spreading to F-16s really concerns me.
Because at the same time out of nowhere we are seeing Ukrainian MiGs flying combat sorties with older R-60 missiles and not R-73s.Here’s a recent video of an R-60 being used against a banderol cruise missile : pic.twitter.com/UMhtXW2o2p
— capt. Wild Bill Kelso (@_wild_billkelso) September 4, 2026
Ukraine is also running short of missiles for its F-16 fighter jets, with some pilots flying missions with only the aircraft’s built-in gun. The F-16 normally uses AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles to shoot down Russian drones and cruise missiles, according to Euro Maidan Press.
But Ukraine is now rationing these missiles because its supplies are limited. The shortage is even more serious because AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles are also used by Ukraine’s NASAMS air-defence systems.
At the same time, Russia is increasing the number of fast drones it sends into Ukraine. Russia reportedly launched around 1,500 jet-powered Geran drones in July and about 2,500 in August. These faster drones are also harder to shoot down.
Their interception rate reportedly fell to around 50% in July. It may have since improved to between 60% and 70%. That is still far below the roughly 90% interception rate Ukraine has achieved against slower Geran-1 and Geran-2 drones.
“Nobody wants interception rates in the 60s/70s,” Michael Bohnert, an analyst at RAND, said.
