Ukraine puts 'Frankenstein' monster' missiles into active service.

Ukrainian officials say Kyiv has deployed a "Frankenstein's monster" air defense system to counter Russian winter air raids.

"The first products of the FrankenSAM project have been deployed on the battlefield," Ukrainian Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin said on December 27. "They help Ukraine protect cities and critical infrastructure."

According to Kamyshin, FrankenSam (Frankenstein's Monster Missile) is a program to integrate components of Western air defense systems with older Soviet-era systems, many of which Ukraine has in its inventory. Some projects simply involve fitting American missiles onto old launchers, while others are more complex, such as integrating entire Western launchers into the S-300 air defense system.

"The biggest advantage of this program is its speed. Normally it takes 3-4 years to develop a new air defense system, while we have already received the first products of the program," Kamyshin said.

Ukraine's Minister of Strategic Industries stated that Washington and Kyiv are developing five FrankenSAM projects, including short-range, medium-range, and long-range air defense systems. The country expects to receive more products from the program in the near future.

The FrankenSAM air defense system is shown in this photo published on December 28. Photo: X/MAKS 23 — The FrankenSAM air defense system is shown in this photo published on December 28. Photo: *X/MAKS 23*

Information about the FrankenSAM program first emerged in April of this year, after several classified US intelligence documents were leaked on the social media platform Discord. In October, US media reported that the country had tested at least two products, including the RIM-7 missile mounted on the Buk air defense system and a combination of Soviet-era radar and the AIM-9M missile.

In November, Yuri Ignat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, said that Kyiv had successfully modified the Soviet-era Buk-M1 air defense system to enable the use of missiles supplied by the United States. "We have recorded good results from testing the Buk-M1 air defense system at training grounds in the United States," Ignat said.

The White House announced earlier this month that the U.S. had provided Ukraine with the necessary technical data to enable it to domestically manufacture FrankenSAM air defense systems. "Conducting parallel production in both the U.S. and Ukraine will allow Kyiv to deploy them to the battlefield more quickly and significantly enhance its air defense capabilities," the announcement stated.

Ukraine's Buk-M1 air defense missile system. Photo: Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. — Ukraine's Buk-M1 air defense missile system. Photo: *Ukrainian Ministry of Defence.*

Ukraine is in dire need of an air defense system, amid recent Russian attacks on Kyiv's energy infrastructure using drones and long-range missiles, a tactic similar to what Moscow employed last winter.

The Ukrainian Air Force announced on December 27 that Russia had deployed 46 Shahed-type suicide drones to attack various areas in the country, killing two people. Yesterday, Moscow launched eight more drones to attack Ukraine, seven of which were intercepted.

Kyiv possesses numerous Soviet-era air defense systems such as the S-300 and Buk, but its ammunition reserves are dwindling due to the relentless Russian airstrikes.

The US and the West have supplied Kyiv with several NATO-standard systems such as Patriot, IRIS-T, NASAM, and Flakpanzer Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, as well as transferring RIM-7 Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft missiles and other ammunition, but the quantities are believed to be insufficient.

In November, President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that Ukraine's air defense network was now "stronger than last year," but acknowledged that the country's military was not yet capable of protecting its entire territory and needed further equipment to be able to defend itself.