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Ukraine Confirms Russia Using New Cruise Missile S8000 “Banderol” With Foreign Parts

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Lucile Brizard
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Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) has published a technical breakdown of Russia’s new S8000 “Banderol” cruise missile, revealing a range of foreign-made components used in its construction.

In a report released on May 12, HUR identified several key foreign-made elements integrated into the missile, including an RF Design RF900x telemetry module, a flight controller, and an inertial navigation system. Highlighting Russia’s continued use of foreign components in its advanced weapons systems despite international sanctions.

Despite existing international sanctions, several components in the S8000 are commercially available, which makes it difficult to fully restrict their access.

HUR identified that the cruise missile contains components sourced from at least six foreign countries, including the United States, Japan, China, South Korea, Switzerland, and Australia.

The specific parts integrated into the missile’s systems include Murata-manufactured batteries from Japan, an RF Design telemetry module produced in Australia, Dynamixel servos from South Korea, a radio-frequency amplifier made by US-based Maxim Integrated, Toshiba phototransistors from Japan, and a microcontroller developed by Switzerland’s STMicroelectronics.

The findings, released on May 12, highlight continued concerns over Russia’s ability to circumvent international sanctions and acquire foreign technologies for use in advanced weapons systems.

HUR stated that, “Thousands of electronic components, originally intended to improve lives and fuel development, are perversely repurposed by aggressors into instruments of violence. These weapons rely heavily on foreign-made components. Disrupting this supply chain is critical to impede their ability to fight, occupy and kill.”

The S8000 “Banderol” is developed by the Kronstadt Group, a Russian defense enterprise best known for its Orion UAV (also known as Inokhodets), a medium-altitude long-endurance drone designed for reconnaissance and strike missions.

Kronstadt has been under international sanctions since 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The company is listed by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan for its direct role in supporting Russia’s military operations.

The S8000 “Banderol” missile is believed to be launched from Orion UAVs and is reportedly being adapted for use with Mi-28N attack helicopters.

The missile is powered by a Chinese-made SW800Pro-A95 turbojet engine produced by Swiwin, weighing 8.5 kilograms and capable of delivering 81.6 kgf of thrust at 65,000 revolutions per minute.

Foreign-made components in the S8000 “Banderol”

  • Factory-protected CRP antenna

  • Flight controller

  • Connection ribbon

  • Air pressure measurement unit

  • Rechargeable battery

  • Inertial navigation system module

  • RF Design RF900x telemetry data exchange module

The S8000 has a range of up to 500 kilometers and a top speed of 650 kilometers per hour. HUR emphasized the missile’s high maneuverability as one of its key features and noted that it is primarily being used in strikes on targets in the South of Ukraine.

Earlier, it was reported that Ukrainian forces destroyed 6,186 Russian artillery systems since the start of 2025, bringing the total to 19,236 since January 2024.

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