Russia uses North Korean cluster munitions in Kherson, sparking civilian safety fears

Defense Express reported the information.

Russian forces have begun striking Kherson with North Korean–manufactured cluster munitions, according to Ukrainian officials and independent defense analysts. These weapons, identified as JU-90 submunitions, were recently documented in Ukrainian cities following shelling by multiple launch rocket systems. Police released photographs of the munitions found along Kherson’s riverside districts, and experts later confirmed their North Korean origin.

The JU-90 is believed to be a crude copy of American-designed munitions, but its simplified and cost-cut manufacturing makes it significantly less effective — and far more unpredictable. Instead of copper, the warhead uses a steel liner that cuts armor penetration by more than half, while the casing lacks proper fragmentation design, reducing its lethality. Worse still, many of the submunitions fail to detonate on impact, effectively turning them into improvised landmines scattered across civilian areas.

Local police have issued urgent warnings, urging residents not to touch or move any suspicious objects and to immediately notify emergency services. Defense analysts underline that these unreliable weapons, while militarily limited, pose a long-term and deadly threat to civilians — a danger that may linger for years after the attacks.