Military — 2026-09-06

Ukraine Running Short of Best Missiles for Jet Drone Intercepts as MiG-29s Resort to 1970s R-60 Weapons

BLUFUkraine's reversion to 1970s-era R-60 missiles for drone intercepts exposes a narrowing inventory that will likely cap fast-drone kill rates near current levels absent new Western munition streams.

Ukrainian MiG-29 fighters are increasingly firing 1970s-era R-60 infrared missiles against Russian jet-propelled Geran-3/4/5 drones and Banderol cruise missiles, a shift from the more capable R-73 that has been the preferred interceptor, according to Euromaidan Press and TrenchArt reporting by David Axe 12. Video circulated on social media this week showing an R-60 downing a Banderol at low altitude, and an R-60 was reportedly visible in MiG-29 crash wreckage last month 1. The R-73, a $300,000 heat-seeking missile assembled in Russia despite some Ukrainian-built components, has been diverted into ground-launched air-defense roles and onto naval drones as stocks of the Osa system's 9M33 missiles ran short 12. Since November 2025, Ukraine has run a program to modernize the R-60 with digital seeker components and adapt it for ground launch, according to Ukrainian Council of Defense Industry official Ihor Fedirko 1. Russia launched a reported 1,500 jet-propelled Gerans in July and 2,500 in August, traveling at 500-700 km/hr; interception rates for these fast drones fell as low as 50% in July before rising to 60-70%, versus roughly 90% for slower propeller-driven Shahed-type drones, per RAND analyst Michael Bohnert 12.

Analysis
MiG-29 pilots reaching for R-60s signals R-73 reserves are approaching a hard floor, though the reappearance may instead reflect a deliberate effort to deplete an obsolescent stockpile before it expires rather than an emergency shortfall. Moderate confidence reflects a single detailed primary account of the missile shift, corroborated by an official program disclosure but lacking independent data on remaining R-73 depth. It is likely that Ukraine's interception rate for fast jet-propelled drones will exceed 70% in at least one month before November 1, contingent on new interceptor-drone deliveries outpacing Russian jet-drone production, which has lagged so far. If rates climb past that threshold, Western partners can defer emergency R-73 resupply; if they stay depressed, allies must accelerate munitions transfers and interceptor-drone production support to prevent rising strike penetration against Ukrainian infrastructure.

2 sources

Ukraine is running short of its best missiles for hunting Russias jet drones Now MiG-29s are firing 1970s weapons - Euromaidan Press
Ukraine's MiGs Need R-73 Missiles. They're Running Out. - TrenchArt (David Axe)