Ukraine's Pilots Are Down to Cannon Passes. The Missiles for Jet Gerans Ran Out.

Russia has pushed Ukraine past cheap FPV interceptors and through its air-to-air missile reserves. The next air-defense contest turns on who can manufacture an affordable round by the thousand.

The Sept. 10 cannon warning

The interceptor gap Russia opened at the cheap end of Ukraine's air defenses reached the top of the cost curve on Sept. 10, when Yurii Ihnat said Ukrainian pilots were "forced to take risks and use aircraft cannons." The head of the Air Force communications department told the Kyiv Independent that cannon engagements demand precise maneuvering to find a firing point against a target moving above 400 km/h. Russia launched roughly 1,500 jet-powered drones in July and 2,800 in August, he added.

Cannon fire is the latest fallback because the missile fallback is running dry. The Economist reported on Sept. 8 that Ukraine's stocks of US-made AIM-120 and AIM-9 missiles for its F-16s are nearly exhausted. Those rounds intercept Russian cruise missiles as well as Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones, which can reach 600 km/h.

Round-the-clock attacks have increased consumption of both air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles, Ihnat said. Ukraine is sending MiG-29s, F-16s and French Mirage 2000s against the jet drones, but missile scarcity now forces some pilots to close to gun range. Russia has converted a speed advantage over cheap FPV interceptors into pressure on Ukraine's most expensive defensive aircraft and ammunition.