A Russian «Banderol»-type drone missile crossed the Ukrainian-Moldovan border during an air strike on 17 August and, according to preliminary reports, crashed in a maize field near the village of Talmaz. The site is situated approximately three kilometres from the village and roughly 20 km from the border with Ukraine. The exact location and consequences are to be confirmed by the Moldovan authorities.
Briefly about the main points
- The target crossed the Ukrainian-Moldovan border during the attack on 17 August.
- The crash site was a maize field near Talmazy.
- Before disappearing from the radar, the munition was descending.
- A week earlier, a similar device had exploded near Krokmaz.
The target was descending before it disappeared from the radar
Initial reports on monitoring websites indicated that the aerial target had disappeared from radar approximately 34 km from the Ukrainian border. Prior to this, it had been descending — from approximately 300 to 150 metres.
It was later reported that the munition may have fallen in a maize field. The relevant Moldovan authorities are to confirm the exact location of the impact and any possible consequences. In previous similar incidents in the country, the areas where the munitions were found were cordoned off, and the fragments were examined by the relevant authorities.
A week earlier, the device had exploded near Krokmaz
On 9 August, near the village of Krokmaz in the Ștefan Vodă district, a device exploded which the Moldovan police described as a «missile drone». After examining the wreckage, law enforcement officials stated that its components bore the hallmarks of a guided missile, and that the device itself was a hybrid of a drone and a missile.
On that day, the Ukrainian Air Force warned that Russia was using «Banderole» missiles during large-scale attack in the Odesa region. Talmaz is also situated in the Ștefan Vodă district, in south-eastern Moldova, near the Odesa region.
What is known about the «Banderole» munition?»
«The »Banderole« is described as a Russian strike munition that combines the characteristics of a drone and a cruise missile. In documents from the Research Centre of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, it is referred to as the S8000 »Banderol’ light guided cruise missile.
According to the centre, the explosive payload of such a device is approximately 138–150 kg. The Russian side claimed a range of up to 700 km, whilst the Ukrainian military recorded its use at a distance of approximately 310–320 km from the launch site. Its flight speed is estimated to be between 480 and 680 km/h.
Russia has already used such munitions to strike southern Ukraine, particularly the Odesa region. The Moldovan border police advise people not to approach any drones or debris they find, not to touch or move them, and to report the discovery by dialling 112.
