The Russians want to equip the "Kalibr" missiles with cluster warheads
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian “Kalibr” cruise missiles have undergone at least two significant upgrades.
The agency noted that the missiles used by Russia from 2022 until early 2026 were equipped with high-explosive fragmentation warheads.
At the same time, a fundamental change was observed this year—for the first time, cluster warheads were detected in missiles shot down this spring.
“The enemy did this to increase the area of destruction and to use the missile against dispersed targets,” the Ministry of Defense emphasized.
In addition, in 2023–2024, Russia gradually transitioned to using its own component base in the production of “Kalibrs,” however, imported components were again found in the onboard computing systems of samples shot down in 2025. According to Ukrainian experts, this may indicate potential issues with guidance accuracy following the switch to Russian components.
The Ministry of Defense emphasized that such research helps improve the effectiveness of countering missile attacks, and that airspace defense remains one of Ukraine’s key defense priorities.
It is also reported that, based on the collected data, the manufacturers of electronics for the "Kalibr" missiles, as well as key designers and managers involved in production, have been identified. This information is being shared for further use within the framework of sanctions policy.
This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, citing an analysis of downed missiles conducted by military engineers and scientists.
Earlier, the Security Service of Ukraine announced in absentia that it had charged 30-year-old Oleksiy Olkhovsky—commander of a combat unit on the Russian Black Sea Fleet submarine Varshavyanka—with treason.
