Russia’s cluster warhead missiles push Ukraine to seek defense aid

Military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko expressed this opinion on his Telegram channel.

On the night of November 28, 85 subsonic cruise missiles targeted Ukraine—57 air-launched Kh-101 and 28 sea-launched 3M14 Kalibr. Recent versions of both types are equipped with cluster warheads, as confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Intercepting missiles with cluster warheads poses a significant challenge. While older subsonic cruise missiles could be reliably intercepted by various air defense systems, including Soviet-era ones, the presence of cluster warheads complicates the situation. These warheads release submunitions even if the missile is intercepted, reducing the effectiveness of traditional air defense methods.

Most Soviet and Russian air defense systems rely on creating a fragmentation cloud near the missile, not on precise interception. This approach works against unitary warheads, but with cluster warheads, submunitions disperse regardless of the missile’s destruction. Even advanced Russian S-400 systems struggle against cluster-equipped ATACMS missiles.

Modern systems like the Patriot, particularly PAC-3 MSE missiles, are designed for direct hits, neutralizing the warhead mid-flight. This precise interception capability is critical for dealing with advanced threats, as demonstrated when a Patriot missile intercepted the warhead of a Kh-47M2 Kinzhal.

Ukraine’s current air defense relies heavily on Soviet-era systems, effective against older threats but less so against cluster warheads. To adapt to evolving tactics, Ukraine urgently needs more modern short-, medium-, and long-range air defense systems from international partners.