Local police released the first photographs of the cluster munitions used in attacks on Kherson, noting that the remnants were found in coastal districts; the original markings in the images had been censored.
Shortly afterward, the Telegram channel SPZh Vodograi published photos showing clear factory markings, removing any doubt about their origin.
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These cluster munitions appear to be launched from multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS). Analysts believe they can be fired from the 240 mm M-1991 launcher. Some reports suggest compatibility with the north Korean BM-11 Grad copy. Defense Express also notes that russia has received 107 mm cluster rockets for the Type-75 system from north Korea.
The JU-90 submunition is already in widespread use by russian forces and has been the subject of detailed technical analysis since late May.
According to experts, the JU-90 is a crude attempt to copy the U.S. M42 submunition — used in 155 mm projectiles such as the M483 and M864 — but it performs significantly worse.
Like the original, the JU-90 is intended to combine a shaped-charge warhead with a fragmentation effect. In practice, however, critical components have been simplified and downgraded to reduce cost. For example, instead of a copper shaped-charge liner (standard for effective jet formation), the JU-90 uses a steel liner. This greatly weakens the cumulative jet and reduces armor penetration — estimated at roughly 3 cm of steel compared to about 7 cm for the original design.
Its fragmentation effect is also poor. The JU-90’s steel casing lacks the engineered scoring required for effective fragmentation, severely limiting its lethality.
Perhaps most critically, the fuze design is extremely primitive. The JU-90 relies on an inertia striker fuze that is highly unreliable, leading to a large proportion of unexploded submunitions. These unexploded submunitions do not simply represent an unexploded ordnance (UXO) hazard — they effectively function as anti-personnel mines, posing a long-term risk to civilians and first responders.
For this reason, police and EOD specialists warn civilians never to touch or move any suspected submunitions and to report their location immediately to the appropriate authorities.
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