Russia has 650 km/h drone-missile: Why isn't it used in mass attacks on Kyiv?
The Orion drone, which carries Banderol weapons (photo: war-sanctions.gur.gov.ua)
From a technical standpoint, Russian forces are capable of attacking Kyiv with Banderol weapons, but so far they have not used this weapon on a large scale against the Ukrainian capital, aviation expert Kostiantyn Kryvolap said in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.
"It is difficult to say what limitations the Russians face in this regard. Perhaps it is somehow related to the location of combat units or the segmentation of areas of responsibility that the Russians have established," the expert noted.
He also stressed that the reason may lie in the different areas of responsibility assigned to individual Russian combat units that have Banderol weapons in their arsenals.
What is known about Banderol
Banderol (S8000) is a Russian jet-powered loitering munition that Ukraine's Defense Intelligence also calls a cruise missile. It is a hybrid of a drone and a missile developed by the Russian company Kronstadt.
The munition is usually launched from Russia's Orion UAV. At the same time, Russia is looking for ways to diversify how it can be deployed, including potential launches from ground-based platforms. Its maximum speed is up to 650 km/h, and its flight range is 500 km.
In June 2026, Russian forces used Banderol against Kyiv for the first time, after which its use against Ukraine became more frequent. Thanks to its jet engine, the munition can reach speeds of around 600 km/h and descend to an altitude of about 200 meters before striking.
At the same time, Banderol is not invulnerable to Ukrainian air defenses. This drone-missile has a flight profile similar to that of a cruise missile or jet-powered drone. However, it puts a strain on air defenses in the surface-to-air missile category, aviation expert Anatolii Khrapchynskyi said in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.
