Inside Russia's Banderol missile, a hybrid drone-bomb-missile
The missile is capable of traveling up to 500 km at a speed of over 500 km/h (Photo: War&Sanctions)
Russia is increasingly using Banderol loitering munitions to strike Ukraine — weapons that function as de facto cruise missiles and whose attacks are destructive and dangerous.
During a massive overnight strike on Kyiv and the Kyiv region on Aug. 20, Ukraine's Defense Forces managed to shoot down both Banderol missiles launched at the capital, but Russia continued using the weapon against Ukraine later that day, including against Kyiv Oblast.
The day before, on Aug. 19, Russia struck Zhytomyr with Banderol missiles, hitting the building of the city's Main Directorate of the National Police. Three people were killed, and more than 40 were wounded.
In August, Russia also carried out massed attacks using jet-powered drones and Banderol missiles against the city of Brovary near Kyiv, and had deployed the weapon in other combined strikes earlier in the summer. One such missile even flew into Moldovan territory.
On June 15, it was reported that these missile-drones may have been used in one of the most massive strikes on Kyiv to date.
Ukraine's Air Force has previously stated in reports that Russian forces have used Banderol missiles repeatedly, on a relatively regular basis since the summer of 2026. The first official report of the weapon's use dates to May 2025.
In its infographic, NV outlines what's important to know about the Banderol cruise missile and the danger it poses.
Banderol cruise missiles
Russia likely began using the Banderol missile against Ukraine in the spring of 2025.
In late April 2025, Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an electronic warfare and communications specialist who now serves as an informal adviser to the president, reported that Russian forces had spent several weeks attacking Odesa Oblast with what he described as "loitering munitions" called Banderol.
Ukraine's Defense Intelligence later clarified that the weapon is a new Russian cruise missile, the S8000 Banderol, and disclosed its technical specifications. BBC Ukraine described the weapon as a "hybrid of a drone, an aerial bomb, and a missile."
For a long time, it was believed Russian forces launched the missile only from Orion drones. However, in late July 2026, the military outlet Defense Express reported that Russian forces also have a ground-based launcher for the Banderol missile.
"One of the main dangers it poses is that thanks to [the launcher], the Russians will be able to launch the S8000 Banderol unexpectedly, catching air defense off guard," Defense Express analysts explained. “Previously, launching it required getting an Orion drone airborne, which could be detected in advance, allowing time to prepare to repel the threat.”
By contrast, when Banderol missiles are launched from a ground-based system, they can only be detected around the moment they enter Ukrainian airspace, giving air defense less time to calculate a response and prepare anti-aircraft fire.
According to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, the Banderol carries a warhead of up to 150 kilograms (about 330 pounds) and can travel up to 500 kilometers (about 310 miles) at speeds exceeding 500 kilometers per hour (about 310 mph).
The missile is manufactured by Kronstadt, a sanctioned Russian company. Its primary carrier platform is the Orion reconnaissance drone, also produced by Kronstadt. Russian forces reportedly plan to eventually adapt the missile for use from Mi-28N attack helicopters.
According to Ukraine's military intelligence, a distinguishing feature of the missile is its ability to execute turns with a smaller radius than typical Russian-made cruise missiles (Kh-101, 3M-14, 9M727, Kh-69), while still maintaining the characteristic flight trajectory of a cruise missile.
Ukrainian intelligence has identified key missile components sourced from abroad. The Banderol's engine, a Chinese-made Swiwin SW800Pro, is even sold on AliExpress, with an estimated cost of $16,000. The missile's navigation system is also of Chinese origin, and its battery has been identified as a Japanese-made Murata unit.
The Banderol contains nearly two dozen microchips manufactured in the United States, China, Switzerland, Japan, and South Korea.
Defense Express additionally reported that the Banderol closely resembles the American AGM-158C LRASM (Long Range Anti-Ship Missile) in appearance. Analysts suggested Russia may have attempted to build a similarly cheap cruise missile suitable for mass production. According to their data, the Banderol was first spotted in photos from the Kapustin Yar test range late last year.
BBC Ukraine sources within the Air Force confirmed that Russian forces used the Banderol missile in the spring of 2025. "There were several uses. It has the parameters of a cruise missile," one source said.
On the morning of May 3, 2025, according to military observers, one such missile reached Voznesensk in Mykolaiv Oblast.
Banderol cruise missile: technical specifications
- Length: 5 meters (about 16.4 feet)
- Width/wingspan: 2.2 meters (about 7.2 feet)
- Body diameter: 30 centimeters (about 11.8 inches)
- First used: April 2025
- Speed: up to 650 kilometers per hour (about 404 mph)
- Range: 500 kilometers (about 310 miles)
- Warhead mass: 114.3 kilograms (about 252 pounds)
- Cost: approximately $16,000
The warhead, designated OFBCh-150, contains approximately 50 kilograms (about 110 pounds) of explosives.
The munition is equipped with a Chinese-made SW800Pro-A95 turbojet engine, estimated to cost $16,000.
The missile's navigation relies on a Kometa-M8 CRPA antenna.
The missiles are launched from Orion drones, with future integration planned for Mi-28N helicopters.
A supplier of several components for the Banderol cruise missile is the joint-stock company Chip and Dip, which is on the U.S. and Ukrainian sanctions lists but is not sanctioned by Japan, Australia, Switzerland, Canada, or the European Union as a whole.
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