Russia showcases Banderol and Kover guided weapons used against Ukraine
Photo: The carrier of the Banderol munitions — the Orion drone (War and Sanctions portal)
Russia publicly displayed three types of new guided aerial munitions for the first time — the S-71K Kover, S-71M Monokhrom and S8000 Banderol — at the El Alamein arms exhibition in Egypt, according to The War Zone.
What was displayed at the exhibition
The S-71K Kover, S-71M Monokhrom, S8000 Banderol and an unidentified small cross-tail munition equipped with a nose optical window likely designed for UAV integration were publicly displayed for the first time at the El Alamein exhibition in Egypt.
Photo: Russian weapons at an exhibition (account of krakek on X)
Russia is ramping up production of low-cost long-range guided munitions alongside more expensive missiles, responding to the depletion of cruise and ballistic missiles against Ukraine and the high effectiveness of Ukrainian air defenses.
- S-71M is a compact munition powered by a turbojet engine and featuring an angular body designed to reduce its radar signature. A significant portion of its outer shell is made of fiberglass, with no special radar-absorbing coatings identified.
- S-71K is a more advanced version based on the same concept, featuring electro-optical guidance and more powerful onboard data processing.
- S8000 Banderol is an air-launched jet-powered munition. Its claimed range is about 500 km. Its shape resembles a conventional missile, with a pointed nose and folding wings.
Novel munitions for the Russian aircraft, on an expo. pic.twitter.com/L1UPTb8qhX
— krakek (@krakek1) September 6, 2026
RBC-Ukraine reported on whether electronic warfare (EW) can counter jet-powered Shahed drones and the Banderol: in terms of EW countermeasures, the Banderol is fundamentally no different from a standard Shahed, as it lacks the speed of a jet-powered variant and is equally vulnerable to jamming.
Brave1 has also demonstrated the interception of a Banderol. Ukrainian developers have created an interceptor that is significantly cheaper than the missile and plan to scale up the technology to protect Ukrainian cities.
