Ukraine’s armed forces face acute shortage of missiles for F-16s: pilots forced into combat with cannon only

A shortage of missiles for Ukraine’s F-16 fighters has reached a critical level — on some daytime sorties, pilots are forced to shoot down aerial targets using only the onboard cannon.

This was reported by the specialized military publication The War Zone.

According to the publication, the Ukrainian Air Force is conserving AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. Deliveries of new munitions are being tracked literally by the hour and minute, as the military tries to determine whether they will arrive before Russia’s next massive strike.

“Yes, it’s true. Any aircraft without weapons is useless,” the commander of Ukraine’s Air Force 107th Wing, with the call sign Phantom, told journalists.

According to him, the priority mission for the F-16 remains the interception of Russian cruise missiles and jet-powered drones. In addition to more AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles, Ukraine also needs interceptor missiles for American Patriot air defense systems.

Earlier, a Ukrainian military official reported the onset of a fuel shortage in the armed forces. Ukraine’s Minister of Defense confirmed a funding shortfall in the country’s defense sector of approximately EUR 23.2 billion.