Ukraine's F-16 jets were starved of US-made missiles for weeks

KYIV, March 5 - Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets didn't have enough missiles to shoot down Russian drones and missiles for more than three weeks after supplies from Kyiv's partners dried up just as Moscow was preparing a massive winter air campaign, three sources said. Read more at straitstimes.com.

KYIV, March 5 - Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets didn't have enough missiles to shoot down Russian drones and missiles for more than three weeks after supplies from Kyiv's partners dried up just as Moscow was preparing a massive winter air campaign, three sources said.

The acute shortage from late November to mid-December, which has not been previously reported, lays bare the vulnerability of Ukraine's air defences which rely heavily on Western allies for missiles and defence systems to repel frequent Russian strikes.

Kyiv has often complained about a lack of weapons since the full-scale war began more than four years ago, sounding the alarm over critical shortages in recent months while seeking not to anger U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

The need for Western arms is unlikely to diminish any time soon, with no end to the Ukraine conflict in sight, and with the war against Iran raging, competition to secure defensive weapons in the Middle East and beyond is likely to intensify.

The three sources, all with direct knowledge of the situation, said Ukraine only had a handful of U.S.-made AIM-9 "Sidewinder" air-to-air missiles for its entire squadron of F-16s when supplies stopped.

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have survived the worst of a bitter winter without heating, electricity and running water as a result of an intensifying Russian onslaught on the energy system that Ukraine has been unable to completely repel.