Ukrainian media are discussing reports that S8000 Banderol cruise missiles can now be launched from Mi-28 helicopters. According to the reports, the S8000 Banderol had previously been shown only on Orion reconnaissance and strike drones, as well as in concept images of ground-based launchers.

As for the Mi-28, Ukrainian experts have already questioned the practicality of launching the missiles from helicopters. The report says that to ensure a proper launch and increase the missile’s range, the helicopter would need to climb to a higher altitude. Otherwise, the missile would allegedly not have enough time to deploy its wings and accelerate to the speed required to remain airborne.

However, the need to climb before launch also creates a vulnerability. Ukrainian forces could detect and identify the helicopter well before it launches the missile, giving air defenses more time to respond and allowing earlier warnings for the population.

At the same time, Ukrainian experts consider ground-launched Banderol missiles to pose the greater threat. This method does not require an airborne carrier, making it impossible to anticipate the launch and the missile’s approximate direction of flight in time.

Ukrainian experts believe that in such a scenario, the cruise missiles would only be detected after entering Ukrainian airspace. As a result, Ukrainian air defenses would have significantly less time to prepare to repel the attack.