Ukrainian Soldier Downs Russian Kalibr Missile With a Chinese FN-6—a First-of-Its-Kind Intercept

Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian Kalibr cruise missile this week using a Chinese-made FN-6 man-portable air-defense system, according to the 143rd Joint Training Center “Podillia,” on November 19.

The missile was destroyed as it approached a community in western Ukraine.

The unit said the interception happened in seconds as the low-flying missile crossed into the engagement zone.

“The MANPADS shooter had only seconds to react and engage the target. A precise launch—and the Kalibr was destroyed in the air,” the center said. The unit released footage of the launch and images of missile debris scattered across a field.

The weapon used to bring the missile down, the FN-6, is a Chinese infrared-guided shoulder-fired system designed for low-altitude threats.

First unveiled in 2000, it is produced by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology and marketed globally by China National Precision Machinery Import & Export Corporation. NATO refers to the system as CH-SA-10.

Open-source assessments describe the FN-6 as capable of targeting helicopters, low-flying aircraft, and cruise missiles from multiple angles. It is fielded by China’s People’s Liberation Army and has been exported to several Asian and African countries.

International monitoring groups have also documented FN-6 launchers appearing on illicit markets. Several units were seized from Iranian shipments headed to Yemen, according to Western defense officials, and were later transferred to Ukraine as part of broader military assistance packages.

Earlier, reports emerged that Ukraine’s Air Force received its first British-made Terrahawk Paladin short-range air defense systems for the 156th anti-aircraft missile regiment.

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