Military expert Yuri Knutov said the main danger posed by 155 mm M864 cluster artillery shells, which Ukrainian forces used in an attack on the Leningrad region, lies in their ability to strike an area roughly the size of a football field.

He noted that each round carries 72 submunitions, which scatter after the cluster casing opens, sharply increasing the weapon’s destructive effect.

Knutov also said the use of these munitions required suitable carriers capable of transporting them. In his view, Ukrainian forces needed drones that could be fitted with this type of shell.

Earlier, military паблик reports said Ukrainian forces had for the first time used cluster artillery shells launched from long-range drones during attacks on the Leningrad region. Those reports also claimed that American-made components were used in the warheads.

It was further reported that the drones were equipped with the Skynode S machine vision system, which allows them to identify and lock onto a target and continue the flight even after losing contact with the operator. Russia’s Defense Ministry has not issued any official comment on those claims.