Ukraine is losing planes to its missiles.

Ukraine is losing planes to its missiles.

Soviet-era R-60s from the 1960s explode on launch, says Come Back Alive head Taras Chmut.

Chamot said Ukraine lacks modern short-range air-to-air missiles like the AIM-9 Sidewinder, forcing pilots to use Cold War-era R-60s and R-73s against Russian drones and cruise missiles.

"It's an old Soviet missile from the 1960s that can explode upon launch. And there were cases like that - we lost several planes because of it."

Confirmed case: A MiG-29 crashed near Odessa on August 10, 2026 after catching fire during a missile launch on an anti-UAV mission - the pilot ejected injured but alive.

Chamot said that "at the moment there is no alternative".