Russia has modified Kalibr missiles used in attacks on Ukraine, Kyiv says – photos
Russia has begun equipping Kalibr cruise missiles with cluster warheads and has reverted to using imported electronics after attempting to switch to domestic components, according to a Ukrainian Defence Ministry report based on an analysis of 3M14 Kalibr missiles downed by Ukrainian forces.
Source: Ukraine's Defence Ministry
Details: The defence ministry noted that its experts have disassembled the missiles "down to the circuit board", examined each component and compiled a complete structural and functional diagram of the system.
"In 2026, experts from Ukraine's Ministry of Defence noted a fundamental change: for the first time, a cluster warhead was identified in missiles shot down in spring this year, similar to that used on the Kh-101," the ministry reported.
The Ministry of Defence noted that Kalibr missiles used between 2022 and 2026 carried high-explosive fragmentation warheads containing around 3,600 metal fragments capable of penetrating up to 10 cm of concrete.
According to the report, the new warhead is expected to increase the missile's area of impact and improve its effectiveness against dispersed targets, including aircraft at airfields, hangars, and open positions.
Another identified feature was a return by Russian manufacturers to the use of foreign components in missile control systems.
"The guidance system circuit boards are more than 80-90% made up of foreign-made components. This is a confirmed fact, not an estimate: each part is marked and has been checked by military officials," the defence ministry noted.
The ministry noted that Russia attempted to switch to a domestic components base in 2023-2024, although the missile's on-board computer (OBC), manufactured in 2025, still contains imported components.
"Experts from Ukraine's Ministry of Defence suggest that the shift to domestic electronics may have reduced the accuracy of guidance systems and that manufacturers have reverted to a previously proven configuration," the report says.
The Ministry of Defence also believes that existing stocks of components purchased before the imposition of sanctions on Russia have likely not yet been exhausted.
Experts paid particular attention to the SN-99 navigation system, one of the missile's key units.
"According to available documentation, the system was developed in the 2000s in the city of Smila, Ukraine. It is currently in mass production in Russia, but its design base is of Ukrainian origin," the report says.
In addition, the report said that individual components of the Kalibr missile are standardised across other Russian missile systems: the tail section, satellite navigation system and on-board computer are also used in Iskander missiles, while some modules are identical to components used in the Bereg and Bastion systems.
The agency added that it has identified all electronics manufacturers involved in producing Kalibr missiles, as well as the chief designers and managers responsible for their development. The data obtained is being transferred for further processing within the framework of sanctions policy.
It was previously reported that Russia has upgraded the Kh-101, a strategic cruise missile, at least four times in an attempt to improve its ability to penetrate Ukrainian air defence.
Defence Intelligence of Ukraine unveiled an interactive 3D model of Russia's new Izdeliye-30 cruise missile, including its main parts and components, as well as data on 20 companies involved in its production network.
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