Russia has modified the Kh-101 cruise missile by equipping it with a duplicate warhead.
This is stated in an intelligence report by the UK Ministry of Defense.
It is noted that the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) Long-Range Aviation Command (LRA) has increased the lethality of its premier Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) by using the Kh-101 missile equipped with a second warhead.
Thus, the VKS command tried to modify its systems and tactics throughout the war against Ukraine in order to
- increase survivability, as too many missiles were intercepted by Ukrainian air defense systems;
- enhance its capabilities for greater effect;
- use old missiles, as the VKS have depleted more modern systems in the first days of the conflict.
The latest modification probably reduced the range of the Kh-101, as the Russian VKS does not need the maximum range to hit all of Ukraine. At the same time, the second warhead, which the missile was equipped with, is designed to increase fragmentation damage. It is likely that this will make the system more effective at hitting unprotected targets.
Earlier, we reported that Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine.