Hmm, some part of this seems wrong...
The lower picture looks like RIM-7 Sea Sparrow with the wingtips unfolded, but this missile has a ground launching system so there shouldn't be an issue.
The upper picture is
definitelyprobably RIM-162 ESSM, not RIM-7, and afaik does not have a ground launcher so it would require some kind of adaptation.*Edit: on closer look, the fin design in the upper picture doesn't match anything made by the US. I think the missiles pictured here are actually 9M38M1:
The BUK launcher is designed to carry these missiles, so the upper picture is probably just a generic picture of a BUK with missiles loaded, not specifically one that Ukraine is using with US-supplied Sea Sparrow missiles.
Therefore, the reporting on the supply of RIM-7 to Ukraine is probably correct but they wanted to use it with a self-propelled launcher rather than the trailer launcher.
Edit 2: I found a picture of what looks like RIM-7 tubes mounted on a BUK platform:
But the source is a .ru website, so I'm uncertain of the authenticity:
There's some interesting discussion on retrofitting mobile launching systems in that article, but it seems mostly speculative as to what might be done and I don't know whether the picture is a real system or a photo edit done as an example.
This is the kind of meme analysis I love NCD for
Look at that shnozz. Magnificent.
Ukrainians are some ingenious mofos.
Yeah, did you see those sea drones releasing fpv drones on that gas platform?
Fantastic.
Mommy MIC is proud of you!
