As Ukraine Gets F-16s, Russian Forces Plead For Shotguns

Different eras of warfare are colliding in war-torn Ukraine, highlighting a dramatic contrast between Russia and Ukraine’s arsenals as Kyiv desperately awaits a new influx of weapons from the U.S.

As Ukraine anticipates the arrival of its first F-16s fighter jets as part of the recent foreign aid package passed by the U.S. Congress, Russia’s ground forces are grappling with challenges right out of the 18th century — even as the Kremlin makes advances on the battlefield.

The imminent delivery of the F-16s to Ukraine is being hailed as a potential game-changer in the war as it slogs through its third year. These advanced aircraft, expected to arrive within weeks, are set to enhance Ukraine’s depleted aerial fleet and provide a significant advantage against Russian forces. A Ukrainian pilot-in-training highlighted the importance of the jets, saying: “The F-16 is a powerful and versatile aircraft that will give us the edge we need to dominate the skies.”

But even before the F-16s arrive, Russian forces are finding themselves increasingly vulnerable to another aerial threat: Ukraine’s widespread use of tens of thousands of relatively inexpensive and agile drones.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s digital minister, recently emphasized the country’s strategic use of drones, revealing plans to manufacture thousands more for deeper incursions into Russian territory. Often equipped with explosives, they pose a persistent threat due to their ability to strike from distances up to 13 miles.

The severity of the drone threat has led some Russian soldiers to desperately seek for an old-school solution to a thoroughly modern problem: shotguns.

‘We need shotguns!’

“We need shotguns, we need shotguns!” cried one Russian soldier in a recent viral video, as he described the difficulties of engaging drones with standard infantry weapons. “These drones are a real problem for us, and we’re struggling to find an effective way to bring them down.”

Other Russian soldiers have taken to social media, pleading for their fellow citizens to send shotguns to the frontlines in order to counter the daily drone barrage.

“The drones are a constant nuisance, and we’re running out of options to deal with them. Shotguns would be a game-changer for us on the ground,” said one.

The Russian military’s use of shotguns is a low-tech but also effective counter to the drone problem. The wide spread of shotgun buckshot can take out a low-flying drone — typically about the size of a bird — if the weapon is pointed in the drone’s general direction. As Popular Front, an independent media outlet focusing on global conflicts, recently noted: “The Russians are adopting shotguns as an affordable and readily available response to the drone issue, given that their more sophisticated air defense systems are lagging behind.”

Ukraine is also employing shotguns to defend against Russia’s own drone arsenal, though to a lesser degree given that Moscow has a far inferior supply of the unmanned aerial vehicles at hand.

And the United States is thinking along similar lines.

The U.S. Marine Corps has recognized the potential of shotguns in counter-drone operations. In an April training exercise, Marines from the 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion practiced using shotguns to engage small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), defined by the FAA as drones weighing less than 55 pounds. As one Marine explained, “Shotguns are a versatile and effective tool for countering drones, especially in urban environments where traditional air defense systems may be less effective.”

F-16: High capability, challenging maintenance

A U.S.-made F16 fighter jet flies past while emitting flares during a rehearsal for the 78th anniversary of the Indonesian military in Jakarta on October 3, 2023. BAY ISMOYO/AFP via Getty Images

The Russian military’s reliance on shotguns underscores the challenges the Kremlin, with its Soviet-era arsenal, faces in keeping pace with the evolving demands of modern warfare. But Ukraine has its own set of problems in turning the billions in aid it’s receiving from Western allies into an effective battlefield strategy.

Even military experts who have supported the deal to send F-16s to Ukraine have raised doubts about Kyiv’s ability to integrate and maintain the advanced jet fleet. Kristen D. Thompson, a military fellow with the U.S. Air Force wrote in March: “The F-16 is a highly capable fighter, but it requires extensive training and support to operate effectively. Ukraine will need to overcome significant logistical and technical hurdles to fully leverage the capabilities of these jets.”

Assuming those issues are addressed, the arrival of F-16s could give Ukraine a much-needed edge when it comes to air superiority, especially as Moscow struggles to equip its frontline soldiers with enough shotguns to take out Kyiv’s daily drone barrage.

Start your unlimited Newsweek trial