Axehead.

This is coolbert:

Captured! The most dangerous beast of them all! At least from the standpoint of air-to-air missiles and aerial combat.

Russian R-37M air-to-air long-range missile.

1. "Exclusive Insight: Russia’s Secret Air-to-Air Missile Shortage"

From https://www.kyivpost.com | By Jeffrey Fischer | November 16, 2022.

"OPINION: Exclusive Insight: Russia’s Secret Air-to-Air Missile Shortage"

"This article was drafted and submitted to the U.S. Defense Department for Security Review on 4 Nov., a week before Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson. Given that withdrawal, the premise of this article resonates even greater."

"In mid-October, Asia Times published an article stating Russia was seeking Iranian missiles to replenish their ballistic ground-to-ground missile stocks.  This isn’t surprising given the massive number of missiles employed to date since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.  Extrapolating Russia’s need for increased ground-to-ground missile stocks, however, presents an interesting question. What about their air-to-air missile inventory? Recent press out of Russia suggests a problem… a far greater problem."

Russians having expended [having been reported 1 Nov 2022] a top-of-the-line and never before used R-37M air-to-air missile. 

R-37M a long-range air-to-air missile with well beyond-visual-range [BVR] capability. That mission and intent of R-37M to engage NATO warplanes of a particular high-value type, AWACS and American strategic bomber aircraft!

AWACS = Airborne Warning and Control System.

Not to be used in aerial run-of-the-mill dogfighting in the skies over Ukraine.

It can be reasonably be inferred that the R-37M exists only in limited numbers the use of which the Ukraine Conflict was not to be expected?

2. "The remains of Russia’s rare and deadly R-37M air-to-air missile were found in Ukraine."

From https://defence-blog.com | article by Dylan Malyasov | Feb 13, 2023.

"The wreckage of an apparent Russian very long-range R-37M air-to-air missile points to the type’s use against Ukrainian military aircraft without entering their air defense zone."

"The R-37M, known to NATO as the AA-13 Axehead, is a modern 124-mile-range air-to-air missile. It is a long-range missile intended to destroy various air targets (airplane, cruise missile, helicopter) while keeping the launch platform out of the range of any fighters or air defense unit that might be protecting the target." 124 miles = about 200 kilometers.

A R-37M has been found partially buried and recovered by Ukrainian forces. I am sure a close examination of the remnants has already been done by NATO intelligence and technical services.

coolbert.