Estonia delivers Mistral air defense systems to Ukraine – here's what they can do

Estonia has delivered several Mistral air defense systems to Ukraine, the country's defense ministry said on July 6.

"Let's keep supporting Ukrainian freedom fighters. Together, we can stop Russian aggression," it said in a post on social media.

It did not specify how many of the French-made systems had been handed over, but Ukraine has been receiving and using them since 2022. Norway sent 100 of them shortly after the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The Mistral is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) used to intercept and down aircraft and helicopters from short-range, and has been in service since 1989.

The latest version, the Mistral Mk 3, is capable of engaging targets from over 7 kilometers away and is also effective against drones and cruise missiles, its manufacturer MBDA Systems claims.

It launches a "fire-and-forget" missile that tracks a target before exploding nearby, launching a payload of several dozen high-density tungsten balls.

Versions of the Mistral can also be mounted on vehicles.

…and ships.

Ukraine has had great success in recent months shooting down Russian fighter jets with MANPADS systems, though the exact models used are not known.

Other systems used by Ukraine's armed forces include the U.S.-made Stinger, the Swedish-made RBS 70 and the Soviet-era Igla.

Ukraine's National Guard claimed on June 28 it had downed another Russian Su-25 fighter jet in embattled Donetsk Oblast.

In a post on Telegram, the unit said the aircraft was on a combat sortie when it was hit by a "well-aimed shot" from a MANPADS.

It was the second Russian Su-25 jet that Ukraine had claimed shot down in June.

In the previous month, the claimed total was six – Ukraine claimed that it destroyed Su-25s on May 25, May 23,  May 4, May 11, May 13, and May 18.

The General Staff said on July 6 that Russia has lost 360 planes since the launch of the full-scale invasion.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these figures.

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The Kyiv IndependentChris York