Reuters: Ukrainian F-16 squadron ran out of missiles from the 70s and 80s 0 12

Ukrainian F-16 fighters did not have enough missiles to shoot down Russian drones and ballistic missiles for more than three weeks after supplies ran out just as Russia was preparing a large-scale air attack. This was reported by Reuters, citing three sources.

"The acute shortage from late November to mid-December, which had not been reported earlier, exposes the vulnerability of Ukraine's air defense, which heavily relies on Western allies for missile and defense system supplies to counter frequent Russian strikes," the report explains.

Ukraine has often complained about a shortage of weapons since the start of the full-scale war more than four years ago, raising alarms about critical shortages in recent months while trying not to irritate the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

"The need for Western weapons is unlikely to decrease anytime soon, as there is no end in sight for the conflict in Ukraine, and considering the war with Iran, competition for defense weapons in the Middle East and beyond is likely to intensify," Reuters predicts.

Sources told the publication that at the time of the supply halt, Ukraine had only a few American AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles for its entire F-16 squadron.

"Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians endured the worst part of a harsh winter without heating, electricity, and water supply due to intensified Russian attacks on the energy system, which Ukraine could not fully repel," the publication reminded.

One source added that in this case, Ukraine had no means to arm its aircraft for almost a month.

Another source from the publication said that Ukraine's foreign partners informed Kyiv that they had no stocks, without specifying who exactly was being referred to.

"In response to a request for comment from the White House, an American official stated that Washington is committed to stopping the war and supports Ukraine by selling American weapons through NATO. The official noted that the Trump administration made 'significant progress' in achieving a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia," the report emphasized.

It is noted that during the shortage, F-16 pilots conducted daytime sorties and attempted to hit drones with rotary cannons. According to the source, conducting such missions in the dark was very dangerous, despite the fact that Russian drone strikes mostly occurred at night.

"Pilots also tried to use missiles that had failed during previous missions, hoping that after maintenance they would work. In some cases, they were successful," the source reported.

Sources noted that F-16 pilots largely relied on AIM-9 missile variants known as Limas and Mikes, which were produced in the 1970s and 1980s.

"The shortage was resolved in December when Ukraine received AIM-9 air-to-air missiles from partners, just before a major Russian attack. The sources declined to name the country or countries behind the supply, citing confidentiality," Reuters quotes.

Additionally, one source noted that NATO members Germany and Canada had supplied Sidewinder missiles in recent months, and there had also been a "slight decline" in supplies, although they declined to explain the reason.

At the same time, the Canadian Department of National Defence told Reuters that it is in the process of transferring AIM-9M-8 missiles from Canadian Armed Forces stocks.

"This new assistance will complement previous assistance in the form of hundreds of Canadian AIM missiles and related components that are used by Ukraine for its air defense," they added in the statement.