The remains of another Russian Kh-101 cruise missile have been photographed, apparently found this time in the fields of the Volgograd region.
The missile reportedly fell during an attack on Ukraine, and images of the debris have surfaced on social media platforms.
Despite its development dating back to the 1980s during the Soviet era, the Kh-101 remains one of Russia’s modern air-launched cruise missiles. Derived from the Kh-55 series, the Kh-101, equipped with conventional warheads (and its nuclear variant, the Kh-102), features a significantly modified external stealth design.
The first known operational use of the Kh-101, launched from Tu-160 “Blackjack” or Tu-95MS “Bear” bombers, occurred in Syria in 2015. These missiles, equipped with small turbofan engines, boast a maximum firing range of approximately 2000 miles.
This incident adds to a series of technical malfunctions affecting Russian precision weaponry, raising questions about potential production defects or substandard components. Previously, fragments of the “Kalibr” missile, another Russian precision weapon, were found due to a malfunction.
The increasing occurrences of technical faults and the missiles falling on Russian territory itself underscore potential issues in the manufacturing process or the quality of components.