The submunition is a green spherical object similar in size to a tennis ball, the casing of which has protrusions along one circumferential axis.
"M74 cluster submunition. An ATACMS long-range missile has 275 of these. The opening of the cassette occurs about 200 meters [656 feet] above the ground. Due to the protruding feathers, overtaking flow starts rotating it. When it gains about two thousand revolutions, the centrifugal stoppers separate to the sides, and the engine inside rotates. The primer/detonator is placed opposite to the striker. The munition explodes upon impact with the surface," the specialist said.
When the cassette opens normally, and the munition lands but not detonates, its striker continues to be cocked, and the munition cannot be moved, he explained. Civilians need to be as careful as possible when encountering such a "ball," he said.
"The jacket consists of a stamped coating. The inner casing is made of tungsten alloy, which has notches. The outer and inner shells are spot-welded. The explosive and the fuse itself are inside. The RGO hand grenade [defensive Soviet fragmentation hand grenade] has a similar internal design. Only we use steel, they use tungsten," the specialist added.
The weapons specialist said tungsten allows fragments to gain more speed as they fly after the detonation.
"The effective fragmentation radius, according to the data, is about 20 meters. But, objectively speaking, some fragments can penetrate a metal door even at a distance of 50 meters. The fragment cloud is smaller, the probability of being hit is lower, but the stopping power of the shrapnel is a greater threat. The fall of 250 fragments covers a square of 400 by 400 meters, submunitions fall about five meters apart," he said.
Russian officials repeatedly warned that any arms supplies to Kiev regime only fuel the conflict with no chance to affect the ultimate course of special military operation.