Ukrainian Armed Forces Interceptor Shot Down a Potential Carrier of Banderol Missiles—the Russian Orion Drone

A Ukrainian interceptor drone shot down a Russian Orion drone capable of carrying S8000 Banderol cruise missiles.

Soldiers from the Prybultsi unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ 115th Separate Mechanized Brigade shot down the drone.

This is the second time an interceptor drone has shot down an Orion.

Units supported by the Come Back Alive Foundation as part of the Dronefall project were involved in both successful interceptions.

The Orion can carry a payload of up to 200 kg and has a combat range of up to 250 km.

Its maximum flight duration is up to 30 hours, and its practical ceiling is about 8,000 meters.

Banderol missile

It was from the Orion that Russian troops started deploying the new S8000 Banderol cruise missile.

Its maximum speed is 620–650 km/h, and its cruising speed is 520–560 km/h.

The missile uses a Chinese Swiwin-manufactured turbojet engine weighing 8.5 kg. The engine’s maximum thrust (at 65,000 rpm) is 81.6 kgf.

With these engine specifications, the missile’s range reaches 500 km.

The missile is equipped with an OFBCh-150 warhead with a total mass of 114.3 kg, of which 49.5 kg is explosive material. The explosive used is octogen mixed with aluminum powder, and the plasticizer is cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine.

Last year, anti-aircraft drone operators from the SSU’s Alpha Special Operations Center also intercepted a large, medium-altitude reconnaissance and strike UAV, the Orion.