Russia uses “battlefield-changing weapon”; 4th M1 Abrams downed

Russian news agency TASS reported that the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) leadership advisor Igor Kimakovsky said that the Russian army destroyed the fourth US M1 Abrams tank. The incident occurred near the village of Berdychi, which was a fierce battlefield after the fall of Avdeevka city.

“I have received confirmation of another M1 Abrams of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) being destroyed,” said Igor Kimakovsky.

He added that the M1 Abrams was destroyed by an anti-tank grenade launcher from a Russian assault unit. The vehicle exploded after being hit, and no one could survive the burning tank.

The fourth M1 Abrams was shot down near Berdychi, Donetsk. Photo: Getty.

On March 5, the Russian Armed Forces (AF) destroyed the third Abrams tank of the AFU. The vehicle was shot down near the village of Berdychi in the direction of Avdeevsky by an anti-tank missile system (ATGM) of the 24th Guards Special Forces Brigade.

Earlier on March 3, the developers of the Ghoul FPV drone released a video of the destruction of a second Abrams tank. The video shows the drone flying into an immobilized Abrams whose crew had abandoned the vehicle due to previous suicide drone attacks.

Meanwhile, the US media assessed that the Russian Armed Forces' use of FAB-1500 air bombs had led to great losses for the AFU and could change the situation on the battlefield.

CNN reporters Tim Lister and Frederic Pleitgen said that the Russian army is actively using FAB-1500 heavy glide bombs in the Ukraine battlefield. This seriously weakens the AFU's defense capabilities and is capable of changing the balance of power on the front line.

AFU soldiers noted that this type of airborne bomb is capable of causing massive damage on the ground. Some Ukrainian soldiers told reporters: “If you survive the explosion, you will definitely suffer from barotrauma.”

“This has a big impact on the morale of the troops. Not all of our guys can handle it. They are more or less used to the FAB-500, but the FAB-1500 is too bad,” said a soldier from the 46th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (AFU).

The FAB-1500 is a Soviet-era basic aviation weapon modified into a 1.5-ton glide bomb with a high-explosive warhead capable of leaving a 15-meter wide crater on impact. Its warhead mass reaches 675 kg and fragments are still capable of killing at a distance of 500 meters.

Typically, glide bombs are dropped from a mothership 60-70 km away from the target, out of reach of many Ukrainian air defense systems. The FAB-1500 targets using a guidance system and retractable wings that allow it to glide towards the target at high speed.

“Recent videos of fighting in the Donetsk region demonstrate the terrifying power of these bombs, as they hit thermal power plants, factories and high-rise buildings – which the AFU uses as defensive fortifications,” said reporter Frederic Pleitgen.

The use of FAB glide bombs has become the most important element in the Russian Army's offensive on the Donetsk front, especially the fight for control of the city of Avdeevka and its surroundings.

In February 2024, the Russian Aerospace Forces used the FAB-1500 aviation bomb to attack Kurakhovo. The massive explosion caused by the bomb destroyed the AFU base in the area.

Video footage circulating online shows a massive bomb explosion in the city, followed by a mushroom cloud of smoke rising into the air. Information from AFU shows that the destructive power of the FAB-1500 bomb is very significant.

In January 2024, the Russian Ministry of Defense introduced the FAB-1500 M54 glide bomb model with a unified guidance and correction module (UMPC), which helps turn free-fall bombs into high-precision glide bombs.

The FAB-1500 M54 glide bomb could be a game-changer on the current battlefield in Ukraine. Photo; RIAN

The video shows the FAB-1500 M54 flying bomb. In addition to the UMPC module with wings and a guiding tail, the bomb is equipped with a nose fairing to improve the aerodynamic qualities of the FAB-1500. This bomb becomes the heaviest bomb equipped with UMPC.

Military expert Yuri Knutov noted that the FAB-1500 equipped with the UMPC is superior to the Iskander tactical missile systems in terms of destructive power on the battlefield.

“The UMPC bomb has really become a very formidable force in the Russian Armed Forces,” expert Yuri Knutov assessed.

To modernize and convert existing conventional bombs, FAB is equipped with UMPC modules. Expert Yuri Knutov emphasized that this process does not require too much money and the cost of such weapons is relatively low.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/chien-su-nga-ukraine-hom-nay-ngay-1132024-nga-dung-vu-khi-thay-doi-chien-truong-chiec-m1-abrams-thu-4-bi-ha-307949.html