Ukraine squeezes more defense out of Soviet-era stock, pairing Kub launcher and American RIM-7 interceptors to catch Russia’s jet-powered drones
The hybrid has already downed about 20 air targets.
Kyiv is combining two Soviet-era missile systems to counter Russia's fastest Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones. The 156th Maksym Kryvonis Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment has downed around 20 air targets using a Kub launcher, which fires simultaneously with a Buk unit. Russia has upgraded to jet-powered Gerans, which are faster and harder for Ukraine's interceptors to hit, leading to more drones reaching their targets.
The economic damage from Russian strikes is expected to reach $10 billion this year, according to Ukraine's Economy Ministry. Meanwhile, Western missile supplies have decreased by three times in the first half of 2026 compared to 2025, even though those partners still possess the missiles, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
To make do, crews pair a Kub launcher with an American RIM-7 interceptor, creating a Kub-Buk hybrid. This combination is possible due to both systems originating from the same Soviet design line. Another workaround involves rewiring launchers to fire American RIM-7 interceptors, which have reportedly achieved over 34 air kills each, with a single launcher firing 131 times.
Ukraine's defense strategy also includes electronic jamming, fighter jets, and homegrown interceptor drones, but the effectiveness of these tools is limited. The Ukrainian government aims to produce up to 400 interceptor drones per month by the end of October to counter the faster Gerans, with President Zelenskyy stating this on October 2nd. In the meantime, improvised launchers like the 156th Regiment help fill the gap.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
