Ukraine jets could be armed with Western air-to-air missiles

US MILITARY officials are reportedly exploring whether Ukraine’s Soviet-era fighter jets can be armed with Western air-to-air missiles that could enable them to shoot down Russian warplanes at long range.

The AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles have already been sent to Ukraine for use in the Nasams air defence systems donated by its allies, but could provide a serious boost for Kyiv’s air forces if they can be integrated with its fleet of Migs.

With Iranian-made drones raining down on Ukrainian cities, US officials are concerned that Kyiv is running out of weapons to defend itself from Russian air attacks, and equipping its warplanes with the Western missiles is seen as a creative solution to that problem, Politico reported.

The latest versions of the missile have a range of almost 100 miles, which could help counter Russian jets armed with sophisticated weapons that out-range anything in Ukraine’s arsenal. Engineers have already equipped Ukrainian jets with AGM-HARM air-to-surface missiles.

Donated by the US, the missiles home in on enemy radar signals and played a key role in Ukraine’s lightning counter offensives last summer, enabling its air force to devastate Russia’s air defences.

Ukraine’s defence minister yesterday warned the European Union that its plan to buy one million artillery shells won’t be enough to help Kyiv’s fight against the Russian invasion.

At a meeting in Stockholm, Oleksiy Reznikov told his EU counterparts that Ukraine’s armed forces need at least 100,000 155mm rounds each month to ease critical battlefield shortages.

European defence ministers agreed a plan to centralise the bloc’s defence spending to purchase one million shells by the end of the year, at a cost of €4 billion (£3.5 million).

However, Mr Reznikov said that the plan would not meet Kyiv’s needs.

“We need one million rounds and approximately that would cost four billion,” he said. “We need more.”

Josep Borrell, the EU’S top foreign diplomat, said Brussels would commit a further €1billion.

“The next weeks and months, but mainly weeks – we are talking about weeks, will be critical because the military situation on the ground is very difficult,” he said.