Euromaidan Press
Kyiv is turning Cold War missiles into tools for modern warfare—because the West won’t send what Ukrainians really need.
Ukraine has officially confirmed the use of its long-retired S-200 missile system, marking a dramatic return of Cold War-era weaponry in the country’s defense against Russia.
Footage released by Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) shows the S-200 surface-to-air missiles being launched from fixed positions along the Black Sea coast. According to The War Zone, the exact date of the video is unclear, but the visible foliage suggests it was filmed in the fall, winter, or early spring.
Cold war missile, modern battlefield
Originally designed in the 1960s to intercept high-altitude US bombers, the S-200 (NATO: SA-5 Gammon) was one of the Soviet Union’s most powerful long-range air defense systems. Each missile is over 35 feet (10.7 meters) long and launches with four solid boosters before transitioning to a liquid-fueled motor.
While the S-200 was phased out of Ukrainian service by 2013, Russian invasion has pushed Kyiv to reactivate it—both in its original air defense role and as an improvised ground-attack weapon.
