Latest news with #S8000
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Russia's new ‘Frankenstein' missile terrorising Ukraine
For weeks, a new Russian missile has been tormenting Ukraine. It is fast, lethal and was unrecognisable until Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) unmasked it as the S8000 'Banderol'. Translated as 'small parcel' in English, it is a lightweight, low-cost, small cruise missile that reaches speeds of 400mph and can hit targets more than 300 miles away. It is also, specialists have found, a Frankenstein-like creation of foreign-sourced components which flies in the face of international sanctions. Kyiv says the precision-guided weapon, which carries a high-explosive 115kg warhead, has been used in deadly strikes on southern Ukraine, with unofficial reports saying it has been targeting Odesa and Mykolaiv since February. Uniquely, it is launched by Russia's large Orion drones, meaning Russia does not have to risk tactical aircraft, while its considerable range allows it to strike targets well behind enemy lines. In the future, reports say it will be launched by Mi-28 attack helicopters. Russia appeared to have produced 'a formidable weapon system' that could give its forces a 'significant advantage on the battlefield', said Vijainder K Thakur, a military analyst and former Indian fighter pilot. It also represents a significant milestone for Russia – the ability to produce a low-cost missile for mass production. For example, its SW800Pro jet engine, built by Chinese company Swiwin, is sold through online marketplaces, including China's AliExpress and Alibaba, for £12,000. But Chinese parts are just the beginning. By pulling apart downed Banderols, HUR discovered more than 20 key components coming from 30 companies, including from the US, Switzerland, Japan, Australia and South Korea. The discovery exposes the extent to which foreign technologies, often sourced from Kyiv's backers, have slipped through cracks in sanctions and ended up being fired at Ukraine. There has been no official Russian confirmation of the Banderol's specifications or operational status, and its development was kept secret until recently. In February, Moscow reported the first 'successful test flight of a new unmanned aerial vehicle' but offered no technical details. Ukrainian defence sources suspected it was the Banderol and soon after, reports of an unknown weapon striking Ukraine began to circulate. In late April, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy of Russia's security council, went to inspect the mystery weapon deep in southern Russia. He nodded his head, appearing impressed, as officials pointed to various design elements. Credit: X/@OSINTWarfare The S8000 is developed by the sanctioned Kronstadt Group, a Russian defence enterprise best known for producing the Orion UAVs. It appears to closely resemble America's joint air-to-surface standoff missile, a cornerstone of US long-range strike capabilities, designed to strike heavily defended targets without having to be launched inside hostile airspace. Russia's new missile also can make tighter turns than the country's traditional missiles and, according to Ukraine's HUR, has radar-evading technology and onboard anti-jamming systems. If the Banderol is capable of what Ukraine claims, it could mark the arrival of a new generation of precision-guided, low-cost munitions that pose a significant risk to Ukraine. But Russia's dependence on foreign components highlights the gaping so-called 'sanctions hole' that allows Russia to circumvent Western sanctions using convoluted supply chains via a third country, including China, Turkey, the UAE and neighbouring former Soviet states. Russian weapons 'depend on foreign components', HUR wrote alongside its Banderol report. 'Without them, they cannot continue to fight, occupy, and kill.' A Banderol reportedly contains a US-made motion tracking device, a microcontroller from Switzerland, an Australian-built information exchange model, a battery pack from Japan and a South Korean servo drive. HUR identified the 'Chip and DIP' network, one of Russia's largest electronics distributors, as a key supplier of many of the foreign components. It is sanctioned by the US and Ukraine, but not by the EU, UK, Japan and Australia. One of the great advantages of the Banderol missile is its low cost, according to John Hardie, a weapons expert and deputy director of the Russia programme at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. 'The name of the game here is increasing Russia's strike depth and capacity to fire missiles in larger numbers,' he told The Telegraph. 'Ukraine is pretty successful at downing Russian missiles, but the more Russia can launch, the more likely they are to get through and the more Ukraine has to expend its limited supply of interceptor missiles.' According to a 2022 report by the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank, more than 450 foreign-made components were discovered in Russian weapons found in Ukraine, with 318 of them made in the US. 'We see the same picture today, often the same culprits,' said Maria Shagina, a senior sanctions researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Russia is both breaking sanctions and exploiting the loopholes. 'It all boils down to diversion, through intermediaries and third countries,' Ms Shagina said, adding that technologies were much harder to track than financial transactions. The key issue, she said, 'is that Western enforcement of sanctions is poor and the manufacturers must do better due diligence to who they supply. They do not ask the questions they should'. And when it comes to commercially available, off-the-shelf parts, it was near-impossible to prevent them from being procured by Russia. 'No one can crack down on all procurement networks and all circumvention schemes,' Ms Shagina added.
Sydney Morning Herald
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Revealed: Russia's new ‘mini-Frankenstein' missile that is terrorising Ukraine
For weeks, a new Russian missile has been tormenting Ukraine. It is fast, lethal and was unrecognisable – until Kyiv's military intelligence unmasked it as the S8000 'Banderol'. Translated as 'small parcel' in English, it is a lightweight, low-cost, small cruise missile that reaches speeds of more than 600 km/h and can hit targets 500 kilometres away. It is also, specialists have found, a Frankenstein-like creation of foreign-sourced components which flies in the face of international sanctions. Kyiv says the precision-guided weapon, which carries a high-explosive 115 kilogram warhead, has been used in deadly strikes on southern Ukraine, with unofficial reports saying it has been targeting Odesa and Mykolaiv since February. Uniquely, it is launched by Russia's large Orion drones, meaning Russia does not have to risk tactical aircraft, while its considerable range allows it to strike targets well behind enemy lines. In the future, reports say it will be launched by Mi-28 attack helicopters. Russia appeared to have produced 'a formidable weapon system' that could give its forces a 'significant advantage on the battlefield', said Vijainder Thakur, a military analyst and former Indian fighter pilot. It also represents a significant milestone for Russia – the ability to produce a low-cost missile for mass production. For example, its SW800Pro jet engine, built by Chinese company Swiwin, is sold through online marketplaces, including China's AliExpress and Alibaba, for $25,000.
The Age
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Revealed: Russia's new ‘mini-Frankenstein' missile that is terrorising Ukraine
For weeks, a new Russian missile has been tormenting Ukraine. It is fast, lethal and was unrecognisable – until Kyiv's military intelligence unmasked it as the S8000 'Banderol'. Translated as 'small parcel' in English, it is a lightweight, low-cost, small cruise missile that reaches speeds of more than 600 km/h and can hit targets 500 kilometres away. It is also, specialists have found, a Frankenstein-like creation of foreign-sourced components which flies in the face of international sanctions. Kyiv says the precision-guided weapon, which carries a high-explosive 115 kilogram warhead, has been used in deadly strikes on southern Ukraine, with unofficial reports saying it has been targeting Odesa and Mykolaiv since February. Uniquely, it is launched by Russia's large Orion drones, meaning Russia does not have to risk tactical aircraft, while its considerable range allows it to strike targets well behind enemy lines. In the future, reports say it will be launched by Mi-28 attack helicopters. Russia appeared to have produced 'a formidable weapon system' that could give its forces a 'significant advantage on the battlefield', said Vijainder Thakur, a military analyst and former Indian fighter pilot. It also represents a significant milestone for Russia – the ability to produce a low-cost missile for mass production. For example, its SW800Pro jet engine, built by Chinese company Swiwin, is sold through online marketplaces, including China's AliExpress and Alibaba, for $25,000.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Russia's new ‘Frankenstein' missile terrorising Ukraine
For weeks, a new Russian missile has been tormenting Ukraine. It is fast, lethal and was unrecognisable until Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) unmasked it as the S8000 'Banderol'. Translated as 'small parcel' in English, it is a lightweight, low-cost, small cruise missile that reaches speeds of 400mph and can hit targets more than 300 miles away. It is also, specialists have found, a Frankenstein-like creation of foreign-sourced components which flies in the face of international sanctions. Kyiv says the precision-guided weapon, which carries a high-explosive 115kg warhead, has been used in deadly strikes on southern Ukraine, with unofficial reports saying it has been targeting Odesa and Mykolaiv since February. Uniquely, it is launched by Russia's large Orion drones, meaning Russia does not have to risk tactical aircraft, while its considerable range allows it to strike targets well behind enemy lines. In the future, reports say it will be launched by Mi-28 attack helicopters. Russia appeared to have produced 'a formidable weapon system' that could give its forces a 'significant advantage on the battlefield', said Vijainder K Thakur, a military analyst and former Indian fighter pilot. It also represents a significant milestone for Russia – the ability to produce a low-cost missile for mass production. For example, its SW800Pro jet engine, built by Chinese company Swiwin, is sold through online marketplaces, including China's AliExpress and Alibaba, for £12,000. But Chinese parts are just the beginning. By pulling apart downed Banderols, HUR discovered more than 20 key components coming from 30 companies, including from the US, Switzerland, Japan, Australia and South Korea. The discovery exposes the extent to which foreign technologies, often sourced from Kyiv's backers, have slipped through cracks in sanctions and ended up being fired at Ukraine. There has been no official Russian confirmation of the Banderol's specifications or operational status, and its development was kept secret until recently. In February, Moscow reported the first 'successful test flight of a new unmanned aerial vehicle' but offered no technical details. Ukrainian defence sources suspected it was the Banderol and soon after, reports of an unknown weapon striking Ukraine began to circulate. In late April, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy of Russia's security council, went to inspect the mystery weapon deep in southern Russia. He nodded his head, appearing impressed, as officials pointed to various design elements. Credit: X/@OSINTWarfare The S8000 is developed by the sanctioned Kronstadt Group, a Russian defence enterprise best known for producing the Orion UAVs. It appears to closely resemble America's joint air-to-surface standoff missile, a cornerstone of US long-range strike capabilities, designed to strike heavily defended targets without having to be launched inside hostile airspace. Russia's new missile also can make tighter turns than the country's traditional missiles and, according to Ukraine's HUR, has radar-evading technology and onboard anti-jamming systems. If the Banderol is capable of what Ukraine claims, it could mark the arrival of a new generation of precision-guided, low-cost munitions that pose a significant risk to Ukraine. But Russia's dependence on foreign components highlights the gaping so-called 'sanctions hole' that allows Russia to circumvent Western sanctions using convoluted supply chains via a third country, including China, Turkey, the UAE and neighbouring former Soviet states. Russian weapons 'depend on foreign components', HUR wrote alongside its Banderol report. 'Without them, they cannot continue to fight, occupy, and kill.' A Banderol reportedly contains a US-made motion tracking device, a microcontroller from Switzerland, an Australian-built information exchange model, a battery pack from Japan and a South Korean servo drive. HUR identified the 'Chip and DIP' network, one of Russia's largest electronics distributors, as a key supplier of many of the foreign components. It is sanctioned by the US and Ukraine, but not by the EU, UK, Japan and Australia. One of the great advantages of the Banderol missile is its low cost, according to John Hardie, a weapons expert and deputy director of the Russia programme at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. 'The name of the game here is increasing Russia's strike depth and capacity to fire missiles in larger numbers,' he told The Telegraph. 'Ukraine is pretty successful at downing Russian missiles, but the more Russia can launch, the more likely they are to get through and the more Ukraine has to expend its limited supply of interceptor missiles.' According to a 2022 report by the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank, more than 450 foreign-made components were discovered in Russian weapons found in Ukraine, with 318 of them made in the US. 'We see the same picture today, often the same culprits,' said Maria Shagina, a senior sanctions researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Russia is both breaking sanctions and exploiting the loopholes. 'It all boils down to diversion, through intermediaries and third countries,' Ms Shagina said, adding that technologies were much harder to track than financial transactions. The key issue, she said, 'is that Western enforcement of sanctions is poor and the manufacturers must do better due diligence to who they supply. They do not ask the questions they should'. And when it comes to commercially available, off-the-shelf parts, it was near-impossible to prevent them from being procured by Russia. 'No one can crack down on all procurement networks and all circumvention schemes,' Ms Shagina added. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia's new drone-launched cruise missile is crammed with parts from Kyiv's allies, Ukraine says
Ukrainian defense intelligence says it's stripped down a new, drone-launched Russian cruise missile. The 'Banderol' missile contains parts from allied countries including the US, Japan, and South Korea, it said. The new missile is reported to have been used in attacks on Odesa last month. Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has published a breakdown of parts inside a new Russian cruise missile, and claims that many originate from countries including the US, Japan, South Korea, and potentially Australia. This raises questions about Russia's ongoing ability to get around sanctions imposed on it over its invasion of Ukraine. Little is known in the West about Russia's S8000 "Banderol" cruise missile, which Ukraine says is made by sanctioned company Kronstadt. Reports emerged in Ukrainian media in late April about its use in a bombardment of the region of Odesa, home to a key Ukrainian port. Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an influential Ukrainian radiocommunications observer, was among the first to report its use, and speculated that it may be a new type of drone. It now appears that Ukraine has obtained a version intact enough to be closely examined. Banderol, reportedly meaning "parcel" or "package," has a range of 310 miles and can cruise at speeds of almost 350 mph, according to Ukraine's defense intelligence agency, also known as the GUR. GUR said it's launched from an Orion drone, and is also being prepped for deployment from a Mi-28N helicopter. One unique feature, the GUR said, is "its ability to execute tighter turns than other standard Russian cruise missiles" such as the KH-101 or the 3M-14 Kalibr, while still maintaining an effective cruise missile flight trajectory. It carries a warhead of up to 150kg, per GUR. Much of its capabilities can be traced back to parts sourced from countries allied with Ukraine, Ukrainian intelligence said. In a detailed breakdown of components, GUR said it identified batteries from a Japanese company just weeks after Japan expanded export controls to stop the country's lithium-ion batteries from reaching Russia. It also said it found a servo — an electronic device that controls a motor — from a South Korean company in the missile. Seoul added dozens of items to its export controls list, including dual-use items, in December, although it is unclear if this covers servo motors. It's also unclear if these parts were already in Russian possession before the expanded export controls were put in place. In addition, GUR said that up to 20 microchips originating from the US, Switzerland, Japan, and South Korea were found inside. A telemetry module — or sensor and transmission device — resembling one made in Australia was also found, although the GUR said it could be a Chinese copy. The companies named did not immediately respond to Business Insider requests for comment, sent outside working hours. Countries like the US and Australia have sent Ukraine significant amounts of humanitarian or military aid, and have implemented extensive sanctions and export controls against Russia. However, reports have found that sanctioned items have made their way into the Russian military ecosystem via third parties. According to Ukrainian intelligence, some parts of the missile, including chips and a jet engine, also appeared to have come from Chinese sources. Beijing is ostensibly neutral, but has been accused by the US of covertly supplying Russia with extensive dual-use parts and even weaponry. Defence Intelligence of Ukraine called on governments and manufacturers in countries allied to Ukraine to tighten their diligence. Read the original article on Business Insider
