In recent months the name "Banderol" has been increasingly cropping up in Ukrainian social media communities that track the weapons Russia uses in its attacks on Ukraine. On 9 August alone, Russian forces launched 11 Banderol missiles on Odesa, along with several Kh-59 cruise missiles. And although most were shot down by the Ukrainian Air Force, some of them got through.
Missile attacks of this kind have become an almost daily occurrence. Banderol strikes are among the factors that have forced Ukraine to close its Black Sea ports. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, says these missiles are involved in around 80% of Russian attacks on Odesa's infrastructure.
Moscow is ramping up production of the Banderol and can now make dozens every month. Read on to find out how the Russians developed this new low-cost cruise missile, and why it represents a fresh challenge for Ukraine's air defence forces.
S8000 Banderol
Banderol missiles are developed and manufactured by Kronstadt JSC, the company that's also behind the far more expensive high-tech Orion reconnaissance and attack drones.
Russia began testing the Banderol as early as 2024, according to Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat, but for a long time the new missile was shrouded in secrecy.
The first evidence that Russia was using the S8000 Banderol in attacks on Ukraine was recorded in spring 2025. Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) revealed the missile's specifications after analysing debris. The Banderol's external appearance was later revealed in Russian media reports.
Outwardly, the Banderol resembles a scaled-down Kh-101 cruise missile. It too has wings that deploy during flight and a distinctive shape intended to reduce its radar signature. But the similarities end there.
Compared to the Kh-101, which is launched from strategic bombers thousands of kilometres away and carries a warhead weighing up to 900 kg, the Banderol is much smaller.
It can reach speeds of up to 600 km/h, has a range of up to 500 km, and carries a 114kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead. It is primarily launched from Orion drones, which are manufactured at the same plant, but has also been integrated into Mi-28 helicopters.
Internally, they are also completely different missiles. The Kh-101 features sophisticated electronics, including Russian-made components, an optical guidance system and purpose-built engines. The Banderol has none of these.
Much of what is inside the Banderol is sourced from abroad, from the Chinese-made Swiwin turbojet engine to American, European and Japanese electronics and chips. To enable it to navigate despite interference from electronic warfare systems, the Banderol is fitted with a Russian Kometa-8 controlled reception pattern antenna (CRPA) and a Chinese inertial navigation system.
The extensive use of civilian components keeps the Banderol's price low, at just US$50,000-150,000. In comparison, a Kh-101 missile costs around US$2 million and an Iskander-K comes in at US$1.5 million.
Despite its low cost, the Banderol retains the key characteristics of a cruise missile. Capable of flying at 600 km/h and at altitudes of between 200 and 2,000 m, it has performance parameters comparable to those of the Kh-101 and Iskander-K.
"Because they fly at speeds of 600 km/h or more, they can only be intercepted by air defence systems or fighter aircraft," Ihnat told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne.
A temporary lull
After autumn 2025, Russia temporarily stopped launching Banderol missiles, most likely for two reasons.
The first possible reason is that following its initial combat use, Russia may have paused launches to assess the Banderol's performance and upgrade the missile. The break also gave it time to prepare for mass production and build up stocks.
Another possible factor was a Ukrainian strike that may have disrupted the rollout of Banderol production. In June 2025, eight Ukrainian FP-1 drones struck a Kronstadt assembly workshop.
However, it is difficult to assess the impact of the strike on Orion and Banderol production. Pavel Luzin, a senior research fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and the Saratoga Foundation, told Ukrainska Pravda that there is another, larger workshop next to the damaged one that continued to operate.
"For a large building that cost RUB 4 billion (about US$48 million), that sort of damage is not particularly serious," Luzin said. "They did lose some equipment, of course, and had to send some away to be repaired or calibrated. But they were able to easily move production elsewhere."
The latest satellite imagery shows that the damaged workshop has already been repaired. Russia has also resumed its Banderol missile launches.
Russia began using Banderol missiles again in May 2026. Since then, strikes have been recorded in almost every region of Ukraine except the western oblasts, which Banderols have not yet reached.
Banderol launches are now recorded almost every day. The city and oblast of Odesa have borne the brunt of the attacks, with around 70% of the missiles targeting the region, according to Ukrainian OSINT analysts at Oko Gora.
Russia is making extensive use of occupied Crimea as a launch site. DIU told Ukrainska Pravda that the way Banderol missiles are deployed poses a particular threat. They are most often launched from Mi-28N attack helicopters operating from the peninsula. Russia has also developed a ground-based launcher that enables the missiles to be launched at shorter ranges.
This method of deployment leaves little time to detect and respond to a launch. By the time air-raid warnings are issued, the Banderols are often already on their way to the city.
According to data that DIU provided to Ukrainska Pravda, Russia is manufacturing around 80 Banderol missiles a month and plans to produce up to 1,000 this year. Its targets are primarily static: port infrastructure facilities, including terminals, logistics hubs and food warehouses.
Meanwhile, Russia continues to upgrade the Banderol. According to DIU, the latest versions differ significantly from those produced in 2025.
"Missile spam"
The Banderol is often employed in a tactic that could be described as "missile spam". Russia can launch single missiles at intervals throughout the day to keep Ukraine's air defence forces on edge. Banderols are also regularly used alongside jet-powered Geran loitering munitions or Kh-59/69 cruise missiles.
Flying at 500-600 km/h, the Banderol is too fast for FPV interceptor drones. Unlike conventional Shaheds, which can be brought down using cheaper weapons, intercepting Banderols requires more expensive air defence systems, man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS) or aircraft.
A Russian attack on Odesa being repelled. Video: Ukrainian Navy
Banderols are putting additional strain on air defence systems designed to intercept cruise missiles. However, Ihnat said it is still too early to say that Ukraine's capabilities in this area are being exhausted.
There are several possible reasons behind the increase in Banderol launches.
Firstly, Russia is stepping up efforts to build up its stockpile of jet-powered weapons. In one recent attack, half of the weapons deployed were jet-powered drones. Notably, Russia is producing around 3,000 Geran-4/5 jet-powered drones a month.
Secondly, cheaper cruise missiles enable Russia to rely less on strategic aircraft – a limited resource – meaning larger missiles can be reserved for more significant or heavily fortified targets.
"The Russians have technical problems that affect both their cruise missiles and the aircraft themselves. Not all missiles launch successfully," Major-General Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Head of DIU, told RBC-Ukraine.
Meanwhile, DIU says Russia is also deploying and actively developing other systems similar to the Banderol: the Dan-T and S-71.
There is little publicly available information about the Dan-T. It is believed to be a modified version of the Dan-M, a jet-powered UAV that Russia previously used as a target for air defence training. According to Skibitskyi, one of Russia's priorities is to move towards a fully Russian-made component base. Like the Banderol, the Dan-T can also be launched from helicopters.
The S-71K is a new missile being developed specifically for the Su-57 fighter jet. It carries a 250kg warhead and can strike targets up to 300 km away. A module thought to be used for AI-assisted control was recently recovered from the wreckage of an S-71K.
How can the Banderol be countered?
Ukraine is developing low-cost interceptor missiles designed to down Shaheds which could also potentially be used against Banderols and other missiles. Foreign-made systems are also being tested, including Estonia's Mark I missiles.
The challenge presented by the Banderol is similar to that posed by the Geran-4 and Geran-5 jet-powered loitering munitions: Ukraine needs to maintain a layered air defence system. Early detection through a combination of radars and sensors is critical to give air defence forces enough time to respond effectively.
The idea is to match the air defence response to the threat. Cheaper missiles and slow-moving drones can be dealt with using low-cost interceptors, drones and anti-aircraft systems such as Skynex. For more expensive and dangerous threats such as the Kh-101, Iskander-K and Kalibr missiles, Ukraine needs fighter aircraft and systems such as NASAMS, IRIS-T and Patriot.
But the most effective way to curb Russia's ability to launch new missiles and drones may be to keep striking its production facilities and tighten sanctions pressure. Banderol production continues to depend on foreign-made components.
"Banderols will keep on being produced as long as China keeps on supplying the components," Luzin says.
Translated by Artem Yakymyshyn
Edited by Teresa Pearce