During russia's large-scale combined long-range strike on the night of September 7, the Cabinet of Ministers building in Kyiv was not hit by a Shahed-type drone but by a 9M727 cruise missile from the Iskander operational-tactical missile system. Its warhead did not explode.
This conclusion is based on an analysis of the debris, according to information obtained by Defense Express from its own sources. The fire that broke out on the upper floors of the building was caused by fuel igniting from the missile's tanks.
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According to the Ukrainian Air Force Command, the enemy used nine Iskander cruise missiles in this strike, of which four were shot down. In addition, russia launched 810 drones of various types, 747 of which were destroyed, as well as four ballistic missiles, none of which were intercepted.
The 9M727 is one of three cruise missiles designed for the Iskander system, along with the 9M728 and 9M729. They are often collectively referred to as Iskander-K or R-500. The 9M727 is generally considered a land-launched variant of the 3M-14 Kalibr.
The missile is frequently employed by russia in strikes against Ukrainian cities. One of the most notorious episodes was the 2023 strike on the drama theater in Chernihiv.
Like the vast majority of russian weapons systems, the 9M727 relies heavily on Western microelectronic components from the civilian market, many of them manufactured in China.
It should be noted that had the missile's 450-kg warhead functioned as intended, the consequences of this strike would have been far more devastating.
Earlier, the Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, Katarína Mathernová, also reported that the government building was not hit by a Shahed. However, she mistakenly stated that it had been struck by an Iskander ballistic missile. She published photographs from the site, including fragments of the cruise missile.
Among them were the remains of a turbojet engine — a definitive indicator of a cruise missile.
Also identifiable was the casing of an FT-1 filter container. According to the Guidelines for the Identification of Cruise Missiles issued by the Ukrainian Centre for Research of Trophy and Advanced Weapons and Military Equipment, this component "is often preserved intact, with markings on the hatch cover remaining legible."
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