Russian glide bombs challenge Ukrainian defenses.

VnExpress•31/03/2024

Russia is using increasingly large numbers of glide bombs to bombard Ukraine's front lines, while Kyiv has yet to find an effective way to counter them.

Unlike conventional bombs that fall freely after being dropped, Russian glide bombs are equipped with guidance or redirection systems, allowing them to change their flight path to strike targets at greater distances.

Some Russian guided bombs are also equipped with rear-mounted propulsion engines, turning them into inexpensive cruise missiles. These weapons allow Russian bombers and fighter-bombers to avoid flying into Ukrainian air defenses to attack targets.

Gliding bombs allow Russia to attack Ukrainian front lines from a distance beyond the range of artillery fire, while also helping its fighter jets avoid enemy anti-aircraft missiles. The immense destructive power of these bombs, which can weigh up to three tons, compensates for their lack of accuracy, as they can destroy entire fortified buildings and inflict heavy casualties on enemy infantry within a radius of hundreds of meters.

Russian glide bombs challenge Ukraine's defense efforts. — A Su-34 fighter-bomber dropped FAB-500 glide bombs on Ukrainian positions south of Donetsk on March 29. Video : *Russian Ministry of Defence*

Experts believe glide bombs are one of the most effective weapons that have helped Russia make significant advances on the battlefield recently. They also risk causing Ukraine to lose more experienced soldiers, as they have virtually no effective means of countering them.

Their short flight time, small radar cross-section, and unpredictable trajectory make glide bombs very difficult to intercept. Ukraine has warned that glide bombs could cause serious problems, and the Russian bombing raids over the past few months have proven this to be true.

"Russian forces have significantly increased their guided and unguided glide bombardments of Ukrainian positions on the front lines and in the rear," the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stated. "Russia is continuously using glide bombs to achieve tactical effectiveness in its offensive against the Avdeevka stronghold, which it controlled in February."

Both Russia and Ukraine possessed advanced air defense systems, so neither side gained air superiority in the first two years of the conflict. However, as Russia approached the Avdeevka stronghold, glide bombs began to be used extensively. Ukraine recorded an increased frequency of glide bomb attacks in the final days of its hold on Avdeevka.

A three-ton FAB-3000 bomb at a Russian weapons factory. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defence. — A three-ton FAB-3000 bomb at a Russian weapons factory. Photo: *Russian Ministry of Defence* .

George Barros, an expert at ISW, believes that Russia is gaining a better understanding of how to conduct large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities or critical infrastructure to probe the enemy's air defense capabilities.

"When Ukraine's air defense response capabilities reach their limit, Russia will deploy fighter jets to conduct airstrikes using glide bombs," Barros said.

At Avdeevka, glide bombs with immense destructive power were continuously dropped on Ukrainian fortifications. Experts believe that the high frequency of the bombing, not the accuracy, of the glide bombs was the main reason why Ukrainian positions could not hold.

According to Justin Bronk, an expert at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers typically drop glide bombs from a distance of 50 km or more from the front lines, beyond the range of almost all of Ukraine's air defense systems, except for the US-made Patriot system.

According to Bronk, glide bombs are only capable of attacking fixed targets, but they are very effective when used to destroy fortified structures in areas of prolonged conflict like Avdeevka.

"This makes long-range bombing tactics like glide bombs quite practical. They carry significantly more explosives than artillery shells or rockets, especially 1.5-ton bombs," Bronk said. "This type of weapon has a greater psychological impact than artillery shells in many ways."

Ukrainian air defenses were once effective in preventing the Russian air force from controlling the airspace, but their capabilities are declining due to a shortage of Patriot air defense missiles, while additional US aid has yet to reach the country.

"If Ukraine had a better air defense system, they could have prevented Russia from using glide bombs by forcing enemy fighter jets to operate further away from the front lines," Barros said.

Lieutenant General Ivan Gavrylyuk, Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Defense, stated on March 18 that Russia has dropped more than 3,500 bombs on Ukrainian positions since the beginning of the year, significantly more than last year. Despite this frequency of bombing, Russia's bomb stockpiles appear to show no signs of depletion.

Last week, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its defense industry has increased production of several types of bombs and munitions, including the half-ton FAB-500, the 1.5-ton FAB-1500, and the three-ton FAB-3000. Most of these bombs can be fitted with conversion kits to become glide bombs.

"Russia is consolidating its success with the glide bomb tactic," Barros noted. "Russia has found an effective way to strike, so they are rapidly increasing their bomb production."

The Russia-Ukraine conflict situation. Graphic: WP

Western experts believe that to reduce the threat from glide bombs, Ukraine needs to significantly strengthen its air defense capabilities. President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly stated that the current air defense arsenal is insufficient to protect Ukraine from continuous attacks, and has frequently called on Western partners for additional support.

However, the US Congress has yet to approve the $60 billion aid package for Ukraine after months of debate. This package promises to provide the military supplies that Ukraine has been waiting for, including air defense systems and missiles for the Patriot system.

However, many Western experts warn that Russia's glide bombs are not the only factor determining the outcome of the conflict, as Russia has a significant artillery advantage over Ukraine. Russia's advantages, Ukraine's dwindling military supplies, and the uncertain future of Western aid are making the battlefield outlook increasingly bleak for Kyiv.

"If the U.S. does not approve additional aid, Ukraine will face a high risk of losing significant territory when Russia launches a large-scale offensive this coming summer," Bronk warned.

Expert Barros agrees that without arms aid, Ukraine will have to continue withdrawing from more territories, and this is not solely due to Russian glide bombs.

"If the battlefield situation doesn't change, and Russia continues to maintain its current tactics and adaptability, we have no reason to doubt that its air force will gain complete control of Ukrainian airspace, which will have a major impact on the battlefield situation," Barros said.

Nguyen Tien (According to BI, AFP, Reuters )

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