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How Ukrainian Troops Used a 1950s Anti-Aircraft Gun Against Russia's Newest Banderol Missile
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Service members of the 121st Separate Territorial Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine intercepted two Russian aerial targets, including a new S8000 Banderol missile and a Kh-59 missile, using 70-year-old Swedish 40 mm Bofors L70 anti-aircraft guns.
A crew named Chaklun shot down one missile near Odesa, while another crew named Hunter intercepted a second missile near a different southern city the following day, according to Defense Express on July 20.
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These successful interceptions highlight the ongoing utility of Bofors L70 anti-aircraft guns, which were designed in the late 1940s and have been in service globally since the 1950s.
Analysts pointed out that the guns fielded by the 121st Brigade feature no major modifications other than upgraded sighting systems, meaning the crews likely rely on manual targeting. Lithuania pledged these air defense weapons to Ukraine in 2023, and additional units were supplied by the Netherlands.
In a separate incident, Russian forces reportedly destroyed one of their own drone platforms carrying Banderol cruise missiles over occupied Crimea. Video footage shared by an OSINT analyst known as Special Kherson Cat showed a burning Russian Orion drone in a Crimean field.
Open-source intelligence researchers subsequently geolocated the crash site near the village of Ivanivka, approximately 13 kilometers from Kerch and 11 kilometers from the home airfield used by these unmanned aircraft.
Previously, a Ukrainian Skynex air defense system destroyed 12 Russian aerial targets—including one cruise missile and 11 Shahed-type drones—in a single battle, according to Ukraine’s Western Air Command.
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-360a40df0c57118491f1afcdf129c910.png "Russian BM-21 Grad explodes after a Ukrainian FPV drone hit, July 20, 2026.")
