Russia suspected of planning to arm Kh-32 cruise missiles with cluster munitions.

The Ukrainian National Resistance Center claims to have discovered documents showing that the Russian Ministry of Defense plans to equip Kh-32 cruise missiles with cluster munitions, the Kyiv Post reports.

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Russia is reportedly planning to enhance its Kh-32 cruise missiles by incorporating cluster munitions (Picture source: Kyiv Post/NRC)

According to claims made by partisans associated with the National Resistance Center (NRC), Russia is reportedly planning to enhance its Kh-32 cruise missiles by incorporating cluster munitions. Allegedly, the NRC received documents from the Dubna Machine-Building Plant, situated in the Moscow region, which indicate that the Russian Ministry of Defense initiated a project to upgrade cruise missiles with cluster munitions in October. It is important to note that the NRC has not documented any instances of Russia actually deploying cluster munitions. Nevertheless, they are urging Ukrainians to remain vigilant and respond promptly to air alarms, as they believe that the adversary is willing to employ more deadly weaponry against civilian populations, regardless of international laws.

In a separate development on December 19, members of the ATESH movement in Ukraine revealed that they had obtained confidential documents from the Dubna Machine-Building Plant, disclosing production issues related to cruise missiles in Russia. The partisans discovered that the plant had failed to meet the annual state order, falling short of the expected production target. According to an ATESH movement operative, "By November 10, the plant was expected to manufacture 80 missiles, but in reality, only 61 were produced. A source within the plant's management suggested that the state order was excessively large, exceeding the plant's capacity by more than threefold."

Kh-32 cruise missile

Kh-32 is a supersonic air-launched cruise missile with a range of 600–1,000 km developed by the MKB Raduga from the Kh-22. The missile was accepted to service in 2016 as armament for the Tupolev Tu-22M3M bombers. Compared to its predecessor, the Kh-22, the Kh-32 shares the same structural design and geometric dimensions. However, there are significant enhancements made to its capabilities. Firstly, the warhead weight has been reduced to 500 kg (1,100 lb), a modification aimed at extending its range.

The Kh-32 is equipped with a more potent engine for increased performance. Additionally, it features an advanced guidance system that includes a radar inertial guidance system with radio command correction and terrain-based referencing via an altimeter. Instead of relying on autopilot, the missile employs an automatic control system.

One of the most noteworthy improvements is its maximum range, which extends up to 620 miles (997 kilometers). In terms of penetrating air defense systems, retired Russian Colonel Konstantin Sivkov believes that the Kh-32 possesses formidable capabilities. During its final stage, the Kh-32 employs a steep dive, which makes it difficult for missile defense systems like the Aegis Combat System, equipped with Standard Missile 6 missiles, to track and engage. Furthermore, the Kh-32's multi-frequency radar offers improved resistance to electronic warfare tactics such as spot jamming.

Tupolev Tu-22M3 with a Kh-32 cruise missile before the first test launch in February 2021 (Picture source: open source)

The main visible difference between the two missiles is the size of the radome. The older Kh-22's is larger, extending further down the fuselage (Picture source : hisutton.com)