Russian double-tap Banderol strikes hit Kharkiv, killing 1, injuring 6
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One person was killed and six injured, as Russian forces carried out a double-tap strike using Banderol missiles in Kharkiv’s industrial district.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov confirmed the death and casualties, reporting that an administrative building and vehicles were burning. At least 10 multi-story residential buildings were damaged in the attack, and search and rescue operations are ongoing.
Banderol missiles have been a part of Russia's increasing use of jet-powered loitering munitions, combining features of a cruise missile and a jet-powered drone. Its speed, maneuverability, and low-altitude flight profile can make the Banderol difficult for Ukrainian air defenses to intercept.
After a July 8 Banderol missile struck Kharkiv, Spartak Borysenko, head of the department for combating crimes committed in the context of armed conflict at the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office, told Suspilne Kharkiv that the munition can reach speeds of up to 800 kilometers (500 miles) per hour and carry around 300–400 kilograms (660–880 pounds) of explosives.
"It has a guidance system and numerous control surfaces, and it can change its direction and altitude while in flight," Borysenko said.
On Sept. 24, three Russian S-8000 Banderol missiles struck a farm in Kharkiv Oblast, killing 6 and injuring 14.
Kharkiv has also faced repeated attacks with other Russian aerial weapons in recent days. On Oct. 2, Russian glide bombs struck the city’s Slobidskyi and Nemyshlianskyi districts, killing two women and injuring 36 people, including three children.
The latest strike is evidence of Russia’s increasing use of fast, maneuverable jet-powered munitions against targets in Ukraine, adding further strain to air defenses already contending with drones, glide bombs, and missiles.
