An American edition writes that the planned bombs used by Russia pose a major threat to Ukraine news week.
The magazine notes that in recent weeks the Russian military has increased the number of airstrikes in Ukraine, most of which use so-called “filtration bombs”.
In March, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat claimed that about 10 Russian Su-35 jets dropped 11 glider bombs over the Sumy region. Kyiv Independent described the attack as “devastating”, while Ignat described the use of glider bombs as “an extremely grave threat”.
“Planning bombs can fly very far and planes are not included in the destruction zone of our air defense,” the military said.
What is a planning bomb?
Glide bombs are standard bombs modified with navigation systems attached to them. This modification allows the projectile to plan its flight path to the target.
Some glide bombs are initially made with GPS, while others receive a navigation system after production.
Ukrainian military analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko told Newsweek that glider bombs pose a “serious threat”, in part because planes throw them out of Ukraine’s air defense range.
“They can be used by the Russian Armed Forces without falling within the range of our air defense systems, and they can be used both at the frontline positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and [близлежащим] cities,” said Kovalenko.
Another alleged advantage of these weapons is that they are cheaper to manufacture than more advanced Russian missiles.
“With these arsenals, the Russians can hit large numbers of targets at relatively low cost and eventually inflict a lot of damage on their enemies,” military expert Guy McCardle told Newsweek.
Ukraine also uses “smart” bombs
At the same time, Newsweek notes that the Russian military is not the only one using such weapons.
Previously, the United States supplied Ukraine with JDAM precision-guided bombs, which are currently used on a limited basis by the Ukrainian military. Such weapons are conventional bombs that are retrofitted with a GPS-guided aerodynamic kit to turn them into guided “smart” bombs.
The publication claims that Ukraine used JDAM to attack Russian positions in Bakhmut on April 25. Video of the attack was posted online and shows the bombs destroying a high-rise building.
“The explosion looks large and accurate, indicating an airborne munition,” Mark Kanchian, senior adviser to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the publication. – It looks like the US has shipped an extended-range version of the JDAM. This means that the Ukrainian plane does not have to fly over the target.”
Earlier, the media reported that Russia began to use modernized FAB-500M-62 bombs in Ukraine. These are high-explosive aerial bombs, the model of which was developed in the USSR in the 1960s, but equipped with a control unit, a navigation system and wings.
As stated in the MK publication, the Russian Aerospace Forces launch from 20 to 50 such bombs per day.
Newsweek notes that such bombs have become “an increasingly popular weapon in Russia’s arsenal” and that some people believe they have “the power to change the course of events on the battlefield.”