--- title: "Cluster Warhead Version Of Russian Kh-101 Cruise Missile Caught On Camera" description: "The terrifying effects of what appears to be the submunition-dispensing air-launched Kh-101 cruise missile were seen during an attack on Chernivtsi. The effects of what is almost certainly a version of the air-launched Kh-101 cruise missile with a submunitons warhead are terrifying." date: "2025-07-14" modified: "2025-07-14" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/air/russias-cluster-warhead-version-of-its-kh-101-cruise-missile-caught-on-camera" categories: - "Air" - "Air Force Munitions" - "Air Forces" - "Air-To-Ground" - "Around The Globe" - "Europe" - "News & Features" - "Russian Air Force" - "Ukraine" --- # Cluster Warhead Version Of Russian Kh-101 Cruise Missile Caught On Camera ![Footage from a recent Russian bombardment of the Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi provides us with what is likely our best look so far at a Kh-101 cruise missile fitted with a cluster warhead. While Russian forces have made extensive use of a variety of cluster munitions in the conflict, resulting in many civilian deaths and serious injuries, it’s notable that the relatively high-end Kh-101 is also now being used in this capacity, suggesting it is finding favor as a terror weapon as Moscow steps up its campaign against cities across Ukraine.]() *Via X/Russian MOD* Footage from a recent Russian bombardment of the Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi provides us with what is likely our best look so far at a [Kh-101]() cruise missile fitted with a cluster warhead being used. While Russian forces have made extensive use of a variety of cluster munitions in the conflict, it’s notable that the relatively high-end Kh-101 long-range cruise missile is also now being used in this capacity. It should be noted that cluster munitions, on various types of weapons, [have also been widely employed by Ukraine]() in the conflict. https://twitter.com/TheDeadDistrict/status/1944132669517725953 https://twitter.com/AMK_Mapping_/status/1943934420408578387 The video in question is said to show part of the Russian attack on Chernivtsi, in the region of the same name, in southwestern Ukraine, on the night of July 11. Apparently filmed from the window of an apartment building, a missile can be seen plummeting toward the ground at a steep angle, followed soon after by a string of detonations consistent with a cluster warhead. A large dark cloud of smoke then rises from the area. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine claims the Russian attack on Chernivtsi damaged administrative and residential buildings, as well as vehicles. Two people were killed, and 14 others sustained injuries of varying severity, the service [reported](). ![]() *Smoke rises over the city after the apparent detonation of multiple smaller submunitions. *via X** https://twitter.com/den_kazansky/status/1943914511301292061 https://twitter.com/UNICEF_UA/status/1944047957302501780 https://twitter.com/Grimm_Intel/status/1943958578999832730 Under the most basic definition, cluster munitions are bombs, rockets, artillery shells, and other projectiles that, when fired, open in mid-air and release dozens or even hundreds of smaller weapons. These submunitions are most commonly high explosive charges or land mines, which are types covered by various international treaties, including the [Convention on Cluster Munitions](), which you can read more about [here](). The submunitions, or bomblets, are scattered over a wide area, the density of which can be programmed into the weapon. This scattering increases the physical area of destruction a cluster munition can inflict compared to a unitary warhead, with a tradeoff in destructive force on any one point. As well as the indiscriminate nature of the damage when employed on a populated area, significant numbers of the submunitions fail to explode on initial impact. They can then pose a hazard for rescue efforts and, if not made safe, can remain a hidden threat to civilians for many years. While we don’t know with absolute certainty what weapon was involved, the only logical and known fit for the approach and subsequent detonation we see in the video is the version of the Kh-101 designed to dispense cluster munitions. Considering the distance of Chernivtsi from Russia — it is only around 20 miles from the border of NATO-member Romania — the long-range Kh-101 cruise missile is the only reasonable candidate. In addition, a cluster warhead is not currently known to be provided for any Russian cruise missile other than the Kh-101, although it is far from a new concept, with cruise missiles like the U.S.-made [Tomahawk Land Attack Missile]() also previously having this option. ![]() *Kh-101s under a Tu-95MS, in July 2022. The low-observable design of these missiles is designed to reduce their radar cross-section. *Russian Ministry of Defense** The maximum range of the Kh-101 missile is reportedly between 1,864 and 2,485 miles. The missile apparently entered series production in 2010-11 and was subsequently used in combat during [Russia’s campaign in Syria](), launched by both Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers. The first reports of a cluster warhead version of the Kh-101 cruise missile — which is known to NATO as the AS-23A Kodiak — began to appear last summer. Even before that, the relatively modern Kh-101 was established as the most important Russian air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) of the war. The first evidence of the cluster version of the Kh-101 being used appears to date from the night of June 7, 2024, when imagery emerged showing the spherical-shaped charge that is understood to comprise the cluster warhead alongside wreckage of the missile itself. https://twitter.com/Igor_from_Kyiv_/status/1934938789140443632 https://twitter.com/Euan_MacDonald/status/1801009426255515841 https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1802020391000383650 The existence of a cluster-warhead Kh-101 was also confirmed by Russian military bloggers, who highlighted the value of a weapon of this kind, especially for targeting Ukrainian airbases and air defense sites. According to the *[Milinfolive]()* channel on Telegram: “The lack of cluster warheads in Russian long-range cruise missiles, such as the Kh-101 or [Kalibr](), had an extremely negative impact on the effectiveness of missile strikes on enemy airbases in the first weeks of hostilities, when Ukrainian aviation was in the most vulnerable position, and the air defense system of the AFU could not shoot down even a fraction of the missiles.” https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1522909516790218752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1522909516790218752%7Ctwgr%5Edcb614f44c2baf9d4181f2362d741c5e7e7688c2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Frussias-secretive-long-range-bomber-operations-against-ukraine Certainly, cluster warheads [put these kinds of targets under considerable threat](), but they are also relevant for attacking other soft targets spread out over an area, such as air defense systems, vehicle pools, ammo dumps, and others. These are precisely the kinds of targets Ukraine went after when they recieved cluster warheads-equipped [ATACMS short-range ballistic missiles]() and [used them to great effect.]() However, indications point to the indiscriminate use of the cluster version of the Kh-101 against a city with a population of more than 250,000. This continues a pattern of Russian attacks on civilian targets across Ukraine, using various types of missiles and drones, with such bombardment having [stepped up notably in recent weeks](). Still, the Kh-101s are prized weapons that are not in surplus after years of war in Ukraine, so using them selectively is clearly a top priority for the Russian Air Force. In other words, targets are not haphazardly chosen, civilian or military. As for launch platforms, the Tu-160 can carry up to 12 Kh-101s on rotary launchers in its tandem bomb bays. The turboprop-powered Tu-95MS can carry up to eight Kh-101s externally, since the missiles are too large for its internal weapons bay. https://twitter.com/FT/status/1810953999450870189 Different adaptations of the Kh-101 have also previously appeared in the war in Ukraine, apparently having been modified to meet the changing demands of the conflict. Since at least January 2023, Kh-101s have been noted [employing a decoy capability]() in Ukraine, although a self-defense function of some kind is understood to have always been present in these missiles. The missile’s ability to [release infrared countermeasures flares in flight]() — usually during its terminal run-in to its target — has been noted on several occasions in videos. https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1740825168463966429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1740825168463966429%7Ctwgr%5Edea8d224849485bc3174a5668e9cae7391674bb2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fair%2Frussia-now-firing-kh-101-cruise-missiles-modified-with-two-warheads-at-ukraine There have also been reports of Russia fielding a second countermeasure-equipped Kh-101 subvariant. According to these accounts, the revised countermeasures are intended to “jam” enemy surface-to-air missiles, which could suggest dispensers loaded with chaff or some kind of electronic warfare capability. https://twitter.com/piotr_butowski/status/1592865947580522497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1592865947580522497%7Ctwgr%5Edea8d224849485bc3174a5668e9cae7391674bb2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fair%2Frussia-now-firing-kh-101-cruise-missiles-modified-with-two-warheads-at-ukraine There is also another warhead configuration that seems to have been tailored specifically for the war in Ukraine. Seemingly something of an ad-hoc solution, this involves fitting a second charge — reportedly containing steel fragments to increase the overall destructive effect — at the expense of fuel and therefore range. ![]() *The standard (single) 9E-2648 warhead from a Kh-101 that came down in Ukraine in March 2022. *Ukrainian Ministry of Defense** A fragmentation charge would render the weapon more effective against personnel and softer targets, as well as increasing its lethal radius and blast damage. It could also be useful if accuracy is more limited. The first claims that such a dual-warhead version of the Kh-101 was being used emerged at the end of March 2023 among Ukrainian military bloggers. It was claimed that one of the missiles had been shot down, revealing two charges, with a combined weight of around 1,760 pounds compared to around 1,000 pounds for the single warhead in the standard Kh-101. Firm evidence of a Kh-101 modified with a second warhead appeared in May 2024, as you can read about [here](). https://twitter.com/DEFENSEEXPRESS/status/1788156510696095969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1788156510696095969%7Ctwgr%5Edea8d224849485bc3174a5668e9cae7391674bb2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fair%2Frussia-now-firing-kh-101-cruise-missiles-modified-with-two-warheads-at-ukraine https://twitter.com/JohnH105/status/1788260845933179036?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1788260845933179036%7Ctwgr%5Edea8d224849485bc3174a5668e9cae7391674bb2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fair%2Frussia-now-firing-kh-101-cruise-missiles-modified-with-two-warheads-at-ukraine Notably, the account from the *Milinfolive* channel suggests that it’s possible that, in the cluster version, a dual-warhead configuration is also used, with one of the charges being a fragmentation warhead, and the other being the new cluster payload. Once again, even when striking a target in the far west of Ukraine, any reduction in the missile’s range resulting from the revised, heavier warhead leading to a reduction in fuel capacity, would be academic. Sacrificing fuel (and thereby range) is not a concern for Russia so long as it’s using Kh-101s to hit targets in Ukraine. After all, the basic Kh-101 can strike targets almost anywhere in Europe when launched *within* Russian airspace. ![]() *Targets within reach of the Kh-101 fall within the yellow circle, based on an estimated maximum range of 2,485 miles and missile launch directly over the Tu-160 home base of Engels. *Google Earth** Legally speaking, the use of a Kh-101 missile with a cluster warhead in a civilian area is a clear violation of international humanitarian law and potentially also a war crime. At the same time, with Russia and Ukraine having both opted out of signing the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits weapons of this kind, it will continue and likely expand in the conflict. As for the Kh-101, Russia is doing everything it can to up production of these weapons, which gives the Russian Air Force its only means of striking deep into Ukraine with a heavy warhead. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()