Russia is increasingly using new low-cost cruise missiles dubbed “Banderol” to strike Odesa’s port infrastructure, betting on cheap production to stretch Ukraine’s air defenses, Bloomberg reported, citing Ukrainian officials.
Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian president’s authorized representative for sanctions policy, said about 80% of strikes on Odesa’s ports this year, including Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi, were carried out with these missiles.
“This is a very dangerous device. Most strikes on the port infrastructure of Odesa are carried out by Banderol,” Vlasiuk said. He said development of the missile began in 2021, and that it is designed to fill a niche between cheap Shahed-type kamikaze drones and the far more expensive, precision-guided Kh-101 cruise missiles.
According to Bloomberg, one Banderol missile is estimated to cost between $150,000 and $300,000, making it impractical to intercept with expensive air defense systems such as Patriot batteries, whose stocks are limited. The missile’s warhead weighs about 150 kilograms, and its speed is too high for Ukrainian interceptor drones.
Ukrainian officials say a significant number of foreign components are used in the missile’s design, and that Russia produces hundreds of such missiles annually. They argue that tightening sanctions on the supply of these components could slow production.
Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said the attacks have significantly slowed operations along Ukraine’s maritime corridor, and that more than 20 vessels have been damaged. The corridor is central to Ukraine’s grain exports, a key source of revenue and a focus of global food security concerns.
The strikes come as Russia continues to press its air campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure while Kyiv awaits decisions in Washington on the production of Patriot interceptors in Ukraine, a pledge President Donald Trump cast doubt on Friday.
Sources: Ukrainian National News, Bloomberg, Kyiv Post
Author: Russia Desk
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