The strike on Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers’ office on Sunday was likely not carried out by a Shahed drone – but an Iskander-K cruise missile whose warhead failed to detonate.
The missile – part of Russia’s largest aerial assault to date – damaged the offices of the Cabinet of Ministers near the Verkhovna Rada building.
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According to Defense Express, citing its own sources, the government building in central Kyiv was hit by a 9M727 cruise missile of the Iskander tactical complex during Russia’s large-scale combined long-range attack in the early hours of Sept. 7.
The 450kg warhead of the missile did not explode, as confirmed by an analysis of the fragment, the report said. Instead, the fire that broke out on the upper floors was caused by the ignition of the missile’s fuel tanks.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force Command, Russia launched nine Iskander cruise missiles in the attack, four of which were intercepted. The 9M727 is one of three missile types designed for the Iskander system, alongside the 9M728 and 9M729.
Commonly referred to as “Iskander-K” or R-500, the 9M727 is believed to be a ground-launched variant of the 3M-14 Kalibr. The Russian military has used it frequently against Ukrainian cities, including in a 2023 strike on a drama theater in Chernihiv.
Defense Express wrote that, like many Russian weapons, the missile incorporates Western-made microelectronic components sourced from civilian markets – many of them produced in China. The outlet added that if the warhead had functioned properly, the destruction would have been far greater.
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On Monday, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova also said the weapon that struck the Cabinet of Ministers was not a Shahed drone – but mistakenly described the weapon as an Iskander ballistic missile.
“Putin knows exactly what he is doing. The Iskander ballistic missile that hit the Cabinet of Ministers building was aimed exactly there – at the very heart of the Ukrainian government,” she wrote, publishing photos of the wreckage on Facebook.
Defense Express said that the remains of the turbojet engine visible at the site were a clear sign of a cruise missile.
While Russia has officially classified details of the latest Iskander-K systems, open sources indicate that earlier R-500 variants are about 6.2 meters (20 feet) long, 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) in diameter, with a 3.08-meter (10-feet) wingspan and a launch weight of roughly 2,000 kg (4,410 lbs). They can carry warheads of up to 500 kg (1,100 lbs) and have a declared range of up to 500 km (311 miles).
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on Sunday showed the destruction inside the Cabinet of Ministers building after Russia launched its biggest-ever aerial attack on the country, striking the heart of Kyiv and killing four people.
She said it was the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion that the Cabinet building, where the government works, had been directly hit. Svyrydenko added that no one inside was injured and that the fire had been extinguished thanks to rescuers.
Calling the attack proof that Moscow “does not want peace,” she urged Ukraine’s partners to increase military aid and tighten sanctions, particularly with winter approaching.
“It is time to act. Ukraine needs more air defenses to protect our skies and energy infrastructure, especially with winter approaching. Strengthen sanctions on Russia to limit the resources for its war machine. This is all possible – the capability is in your hands,” Svyrydenko said.
Emergency services reported more than 44 people injured in the overnight strikes, which also damaged high-rise residential buildings in Kyiv. A Kyiv Post reporter in the city center saw flames and smoke rising from the Cabinet building’s roof.
President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that the assault would only prolong the war.
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