Forbes journalists note that Ukraine has probably upgraded the old Soviet 5B28 missiles to the S-200 air defense system into a long-range weapon with a range of up to 250 km.
What is known about Ukraine's modernization of old Soviet missiles
It is noted that the modernization of the old Soviet 5B28 missiles enabled the Ukrainian military to hit the planes of the criminal army of the Russian Federation at much greater distances than if it were done with the Patriot air defense system.
The publication notes that after the destruction of the second strategic A-50U reconnaissance aircraft of the Russian occupiers, analysts began to believe that Ukraine is using modernized S-200 systems and their missiles.
The publication emphasizes that only these systems, of all that are theoretically in service with Ukraine, are capable of hitting air targets at a distance of up to 250 km.
The authors of the material remind that before that Ukraine had already struck 5B28 missiles at the objects of the occupying Russian army in the captured Ukrainian territories and in Crimea.
However, until now there was no question of using these missiles to hit air targets.
Could Ukraine upgrade missiles to the S-200 air defense system
The publication emphasizes that the main problem is the obsolescence of these missiles.
The S-200 anti-aircraft missile complex was created back in the 1960s to intercept large and relatively slow American bombers.
Therefore, the 5B28 missile itself is not very agile, but powerful - the warhead weighs more than 200 kg.
In Ukraine, these missiles were decommissioned in 2013.
It is noted that these missiles are heavy and bulky, difficult to transport and expensive to modernize.
However, the authors of the material, citing a number of sources, note that immediately before the war started by Russia, the Ukrainian government considered the possibility of restoring some S-200s and modernizing them by installing a more modern targeting system.
According to the publication's journalists and analysts, during strikes in the "ground-to-ground" regime, reanimated Ukrainian 5B28 missiles showed good accuracy. So maybe this modernization really did happen.
Now the billion-dollar question: how many 5В28 are left in Ukraine? Ukraine's air force may have had hundreds — even thousands — of missiles when it retired the S-200s around 2013. But big, chemical-filled rockets don't last forever. Therefore, it is possible that the Ukrainians received fresh batches of 5B28 from their allies, who still operate the S-200. Poles, maybe. Or even Bulgarians, the authors of the publication assume.
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