Osa air defense missile stocks are running low, but Ukraine has developed the RK-19 as a replacement
Ukraine's Osa launchers stay in the fight with a domestically built RK-19 interceptor as the Soviet 9M33 stock runs down.
At the 2026 arms exhibition in Poland, the Luch Design Bureau unveiled the RK-19 surface-to-air missile for the Soviet-made Osa systems, revealing its specifications for the first time, according to Defense Express. The Osa-AKM remains Ukraine's primary Soviet Osa fleet, and it is the missiles rather than the launchers that are running low, making a Ukrainian-built interceptor a valuable resource.
The RK-19 is designed to intercept subsonic and supersonic targets at medium range, and it uses radio-command guidance and proximity detonation, carrying a 14.3-kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead. Compared to the standard 9M33M3 missile, the RK-19 boasts a higher maximum speed of 600 m/s, while retaining the same engagement range of up to 10 km and altitude of up to 5 km.
The transport-launch container with the new missile weighs 163 kg, slightly heavier than the standard missile's 157 kg. The RK-19 will enable older Osa systems to continue defending Ukrainian skies against threats like jet drones and cruise missiles such as the Banderol. However, the cost of the missile and its production numbers have not been disclosed.
Despite their effectiveness until 2023, the Osa systems are facing missile shortages, leading Ukraine to integrate short-range air-to-air missiles like the R-73, which come with their own drawbacks, including reduced range and reliance on the missile's own seeker.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
