Russia launches ballistic missile with cluster warhead on Odesa - military expert

He spoke about this on the Espreso TV channel.

‘The occupying Russian forces used a 9M723 Iskander ballistic missile launched from the territory of the Crimean Peninsula. As usual, the main strikes on Odesa are carried out from the territory of the peninsula with ballistic weapons. But there is a possibility that it was a cluster munition,’ he said.

Russian forces could have used an Iskander with a cluster warhead, because there was a large area of damage with minimal damage to the fundamental structures, Kovalenko said.

‘This is a residential area with a predominantly civilian sector and many residential buildings. However, the houses themselves sustained minimal damage. If it had been a shrapnel explosive warhead, the damage would have been different. A large area would have sustained moderate damage, including vehicles and people on the streets. This is typical for cluster munitions, when damage is inflicted over a large area with submunitions,’ he explained.

According to him, the strike can be assessed not as an attempt by Russia to hit a single object, whether it is an ammunition depot or a military unit, but as a targeted work on an area to cause maximum damage to civilians and buildings.

• On Monday, November 18, Russian forces launched a missile attack on Odesa, killing 10 people and injuring dozens.