Wreckage of Russian missile found near Kyiv children's hospital

Russian armed forces once again targeted deadly missiles at civilian buildings in Ukraine. This time, the target of the Russian Federation was the Kyiv Children's Hospital.

The findings indicate that the Russians used one of the latest designs in their arsenal – the Ch-101 missile. It was fragments of this weapon (particularly the rear part of its fuselage) that Ukrainian services identified near the Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital.

The Ch-101, found in Kyiv, is a missile the Russian Federation continuously developed. Currently, the fourth version is in use, although there is no evidence confirming that this generation was used by the Russians to strike Kyiv.

The first version of the Ch-101 was equipped with a basic optical system based on a single lens and had one warhead. In the second version, the Russians improved the optical system by adding two more lenses and a jamming defense system. Adding a second warhead, the third version of the Ch-101 was enhanced in terms of offensive capabilities. The latest, fourth version of the Ch-101 also includes two warheads, but one is a cluster warhead.

The Ch-101 missiles are one of the greatest threats to Ukrainians that the Russian Federation possesses. This is because this missile is characterized by high strike precision. This precision is ensured by the Otblesk-U guidance module, which compares the view from above (during flight) with the view stored in the weapon's memory before launch. Thanks to this, the Ch-101 hits with an accuracy of up to a few yards.

The range of the Ch-101 is also significant. According to available sources, it can reach up to 3,100 miles. However, since the Russian Federation does not need such a long-range to shell Ukraine, it may have been reduced in favor of enhancing the warheads. In the fourth generation of the Ch-101, these pose a significant threat to Ukrainians.

This threat mainly results from the cluster warhead, which scatters dozens of smaller submunitions over a large area during a diving flight. The modernized Ch-101 missile likely contains about 60 small submunitions. However, it is worth noting that there is no 100 percent certainty that this version of the missile with the cluster warhead was used in the attack on the Kyiv hospital. The wreckage only confirms that the Russians used the Ch-101, but there is no evidence confirming that it was the fourth version of this missile, which can accelerate to about 621 mph.