Russia is using guided bombs to bypass Ukraine’s air defense systems and challenge Kiev’s counter-attack plan, the Telegraph reported.
According to the Telegraph, new Russian weapons are turning the tide of the conflict in Ukraine, which is referring to Russian glide bombs such as FAB-250 and FAB-500.
The FAB-250 bombs are mounted on a winged platform and equipped with an inertial navigation/navigation system, making them a high-precision guided bomb. After being separated from the aircraft at a speed of 800-900 km/h, the bomb can reach a target at a distance of up to 80 km. These bombs are often equipped on Su-34 bombers, used to hit targets deep in the enemy’s front lines. The FAB-250 bomb is fitted with a high-explosive warhead, used to attack ground targets, including headquarters, defense structures, and combat vehicles.
Ukrainian officials estimate that the Russian Air Force is using at least 20 such bombs in Ukraine every day, especially in the past month. Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ihnat admitted on May 2 that “Every day about 20 guided bombs are dropped on frontline areas. They fly up to 70-80km and are enough to target critical infrastructure. We can’t deal with this weapon, the network. Ukraine’s air defense network could not intercept the bombs.”
According to him, Russia is increasing the use of glide bombs because the stockpile of cruise missiles is starting to run out while Moscow is not yet able to dominate the air in Ukraine.
Colonel Ihnat said that the best way to deal with guided bombs is to shoot down the fighters carrying them, but Ukraine needs more modern air defense systems than the S-300 complexes born in the Soviet era. Therefore, Kiev continues to call on the US to provide F-16 fighters, a request that Washington has not been able to meet so far.
“Only one or two F-16 fighters are enough to deal with this type of bomb because when the fighters are detected, the Russian aircraft carrying the guided bomb will avoid approaching,” Ihnat said.
Russia using new 1.5-tonne glide bombs against Ukraine
In recent days, in addition to guided bombs, Russia has increased the use of cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to attack Ukraine’s infrastructure such as railways, fuel depots, ammunition depots, and army concentrations. This poses a challenge to Ukraine’s spring counter-attack plan, according to Justin Crump, a representative of a British intelligence consulting firm. According to him, Ukrainian tanks and soldiers deployed to the front lines to prepare for a counterattack should be scattered to limit damage if attacked by air strikes, but must be able to gather very quickly when necessary.
Ukraine has assembled at least nine NATO-trained brigades along with hundreds of armored vehicles to prepare for a counterattack. Some experts predict that Ukraine’s counter-offensive will start from Zaporizhia in the south to isolate Crimea. In recent weeks, Russia has also exerted a defensive effort in the territories it controls, especially in southern Ukraine.
Czech President Petr Pavel over the weekend warned that Ukraine should not underestimate Russia’s forces and should not rush to counterattack without meeting the necessary conditions. “It will be very detrimental to Ukraine if this counter-attack fails, because they will not have another chance, at least not this year,” he stressed.