Ukraine's F-16s Running Low on Missiles — Pilots Risk Their Lives Shooting Down Drones With Cannons

Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets are facing an acute shortage of air-to-air missiles needed to intercept Russian drones and missiles. The information was first reported by the American television network Newsmax, after which Ukrainian media picked up the story.

"That's true. Any aircraft without weapons is useless," said the commander of the 107th squadron, call sign Phantom, when asked whether the problem was real.

Cannons instead of missiles — and danger for pilots

A recently published video of Ukrainian F-16s engaging Russian drones confirmed the shortage of effective ammunition: pilots were forced to open fire with aircraft cannons because they had no missiles on hand. However, this method of destroying aerial targets poses a serious risk to the pilots themselves.

According to Rob Lee, an analyst at the Foreign Policy Research Institute who commented on the footage on X, Russia has modified some of its "Geran" drones so that they detonate in mid-air, in an attempt to hit the Ukrainian fighter jet pursuing them from behind. "It is critically important to supply Ukraine with more air-to-air missiles so that pilots don't have to take unnecessary risks," the expert noted.

When a fighter jet has to close in on a drone to shoot it down, it becomes vulnerable to debris from the drone itself. Having missiles would allow pilots to keep their distance and avoid this danger. Missiles would also make it possible to destroy threats while they are still en route — before they reach Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

F-16 fighters are typically armed with AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles and shorter-range AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles — and it is precisely these munitions that are now in critically short supply.

Patriot air defense systems face the same issue

Beyond aviation missiles, Ukraine is also experiencing a severe shortage of interceptors for its Patriot air defense systems, which are meant to shield the country from Russian missile strikes.

Commenting on Sunday's strike on Ukrainian territory, President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote: "While Moscow is investing in ballistic missiles and escalation, attacks like this, unfortunately, don't always receive an adequate response from the world." According to him, "until Ukraine has enough missile defense capability, Russia won't seriously consider peace."

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz