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 ~~definitely~~ probably 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:

https://en.topwar.ru/234880-upravljaemye-rakety-vozduh-vozduh-aim-7-sparrow-v-ukrainskih-zrk-frankenshtejn.html

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.

[–] PugJesus 24 points 1 week ago

This is the kind of meme analysis I love NCD for

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

Look at that shnozz. Magnificent.