Russia may have struck Bezliudivka in Kharkiv Oblast with Banderol cruise missile

Early reports from prosecutors have indicated that Russian forces attacked Bezliudivka in the Kharkiv district on 4 May using a Banderol cruise missile.

Source: Yurii Papusha, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office, on the national joint 24/7 newscast; Air Force spokesperson Colonel Yurii Ihnat in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda

Quote from Papusha: "Kharkiv Oblast came under fire today from various types of weapons. One of the strikes can be singled out, which took place in the settlement of Bezliudivka, where three people were injured. We can say that a Banderol missile was used.

It is also important to note that this is the first use of this type of weapon in Kharkiv Oblast since the beginning of the full-scale war…

We cannot say with 100% certainty that it was this system, but based on the fragments and debris found at the scene, it is most likely that it was a Banderol missile."

Details: The Air Force told Ukrainska Pravda that there is no official confirmation that a Banderol was used in the attack on Bezliudivka and that expert examination is required.

However, Ihnat noted that Russia has already used this type of weapon. The S8000 Banderol drone-missile is an air-launched munition carried by the Russian Orion reconnaissance-strike UAV. It was used multiple times in Ukraine's south in May 2025.

For reference: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) has identified the developer of the missile as the sanctioned Russian company Kronstadt, also known for producing the Orion drone, which serves as the missile's primary carrier.

A key feature of this air-delivered munition is its ability to make tighter turns than typical Russian-made cruise missiles – such as Kh-101, 3M-14 Kalibr, 9M727 and Kh-69 – while still maintaining a cruise-missile-like flight trajectory.

The Banderol munition is equipped with a warhead weighing up to 150 kg and can travel distances of up to 500 km at a speed of around 500 km/h. It uses aviation kerosene as fuel.

Background:

• On 4 May, local authorities reported a Russian strike on Bezliudivka in Kharkiv Oblast, which damaged a house and injured a 48-year-old woman.
• It was later reported that a 69-year-old man and woman were suffering from shock following a drone strike but did not require hospitalisation.
• In addition, Russian forces carried out a missile strike – presumably using an Iskander ballistic missile – on the town of Merefa in Kharkiv Oblast. As of the evening of 4 May, seven people were reported to have been killed and more than 30 injured. Three days of mourning were declared in the city.

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