Russian "Banderol" Cruise Missile Documented Over Ukraine's Poltava

Ekhbary News Agency | 2024-05-15

Residents in Poltava, Ukraine, captured footage of a small Russian cruise missile, identified as "Banderol," flying over the city. The sighting prompted strong reactions from the individual recording the video, whose exclamations accompanied the missile's passage. This hybrid weapon, for what it's worth, appears to pose a significant challenge to Ukrainian air defenses, combining features of traditional cruise missiles and jet-powered kamikaze drones.

Banderol Missile: Capabilities and Origins

The "Banderol" missile has been in use since at least early June, deployed in strikes targeting Kyiv and Ukrainian forces in Mykolaiv and the Kharkiv region. Its first mention dates back to 2025, when the American magazine "19FortyFive" described the new weapon as a counterpart to the US JASSM missile and a more cost-effective alternative to Russia's X-101 air-to-ground missile, designed for precision strikes against ground targets.

Technical Specifications and Interception Difficulties

Measuring approximately five meters in length, the missile boasts a range of about 500 kilometers and a speed of around 500 kilometers per hour, carrying a 150-kilogram warhead. Its estimated cost is a mere $50,000. The "Banderol" integrates characteristics of a conventional cruise missile with those of a jet-powered kamikaze drone, featuring enhanced stealth capabilities that render it a formidable target for air defense systems. Ukrainian military attempts to intercept the missile during the recent attack on Kyiv proved unsuccessful; interceptor drones cannot match its speed, and anti-aircraft artillery struggles to detect and engage it. Efforts are underway to upgrade Su-25 attack aircraft to carry "Banderol" missiles and Geran-5 jet drones.