Ukrainian F-16s massively destroy Russian targets with their cannons over the skies
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Ukrainian F-16 pilots are facing such a severe shortage of air-to-air missiles that on some daytime missions, they have had to rely solely on the fighters' internal cannons to counter Russian aerial threats. Available missile supplies are now being rationed.
According to Newsmax journalist Shelby Wilder, the Ukrainian Air Force is tracking missile shipments as they cross the country's border, counting not only the hours but even the minutes until the weapons reach aircraft. The main concern is whether the missiles will arrive in time for the next major Russian attack, TWZ reports .
A Ukrainian commander with the call sign "Phantom," who identified himself as the commander of the 107th Brigade, confirmed the problem directly: "Yes, it's true. Any aircraft without weapons is useless."
F-16 fighters have reportedly become an important part of Ukraine's multi-layered air defense system: they hunt Russian drones and cruise missiles and are also capable of countering Russian combat aircraft. Ukraine has been operating F-16s since the summer of 2024.
"We're focusing on protecting our skies from Russian drones to protect our domestic infrastructure," Phantom said. "Our priority target is cruise missiles."
The F-16 is primarily armed with the AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missile and the AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile. These missiles are now in short supply—they've become a commodity, the availability of which determines the performance of a combat sortie.
When missiles are in short supply, pilots resort to using the onboard cannon, but this is a much riskier tactic—especially against small, slow targets and at night. In May 2025, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that an F-16 pilot destroyed three targets with the cannon before an emergency forced him to eject.
Phantom called for additional supplies of air-to-air missiles, as well as interceptors for the Patriot ground batteries: "We need more defenses – Patriot missiles and AIM-9 or AIM-120 missiles for our fleet." He argued that simply supplying aircraft is not enough – Ukraine needs a sustainable and constant arms pipeline.
Patriot interceptors are being rapidly depleted, and new ones are arriving in small batches, limiting Ukraine's ability to defend against ballistic missiles. The continued use of interceptors competes with the enormous demand generated by the wars in the Middle East and the overall growth in demand for air defense systems worldwide.
"We need to at least try to increase production, or at least allow Ukraine to localize production in Ukraine or other European countries," Phantom said.
He also noted that both the AIM-9 and especially the AIM-120 are used in Ukraine's ground-based air defense systems – in particular, the AMRAAM is the striking element of the NASAMS system, which protects Kyiv from cruise missiles and drones.
Separately, Phantom called on Western partners to consider not only one-time arms deliveries, but also to expand production capacity and do more to prevent Russia from obtaining components for its own missile production through third countries.
"We need to do everything possible to stop the supply of high-tech components to the Russians bypassing direct sales, through third parties," he emphasized. "I wouldn't be surprised if the Russians use a washing machine, purchased through a third party, to obtain the necessary components for rocket construction."
He believes that tougher sanctions are needed to deny Russia access to these components. The problem could worsen further when Russia launches another major air campaign against Ukraine—Moscow traditionally intensifies attacks on the country's energy infrastructure during the winter months.
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