Russia equips its Kalibr cruise missiles with devastating cluster warheads
Experts from Ukrainian Defense Ministry examined the Russian Kalibr cruise missiles (Photo: REUTERS/Gene Blevins)
Russia upgraded its Kalibr cruise missiles with cluster warheads and reverted to imported electronics after domestic alternatives failed, Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported on June 9.
Kalibr missiles used by Russia from 2022 to early 2026 featured high-explosive fragmentation warheads. However, experts from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry noticed a change this year: cluster warheads were discovered for the first time in missiles shot down this spring. Russia altered the missile's design to increase its blast radius and more effectively strike targets spread over a large area.
Additionally, in 2023–2024, Russia gradually transitioned to domestic components for producing Kalibrs. However, the onboard digital computer from a downed missile assembled in 2025 contained imported components once again, Defense Ministry noted.
The agency suspects that the shift to domestic electronics severely degraded targeting accuracy, prompting the manufacturer to return to a proven system.
Defense Ministry has identified all electronics suppliers for the Kalibr missiles, as well as the chief designers and managers involved in their production. This data is being forwarded for further action under the sanctions policy.
Volodymyr Zablotskyi, a naval expert at Defense Express, discussed how many Kalibr carriers Russia has left to attack Ukraine in an interview with Radio NV. He expressed the opinion that the Russian frigates Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov, which were hit in March and April, cannot now be used for strikes against Ukraine.
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