Russia began a powerful air bombardment that destroyed Ukrainian defenses and turned the balance on the front line. He did so by converting a Soviet-era primary weapon into a remote-controlled bomb capable of causing a 15-meter-wide crater, CNN reported, citing News.ro.

The FAB-1500 bomb is essentially a 1.5-ton weapon, almost half of which consists of high-explosives. It is launched from above, from fighter jets, from a distance of 60-70 kilometers, which is beyond the range of action of many air defense systems of Ukraine. The FAB-1500 is another example of how Russia is waging its war in Ukraine, causing mass destruction before attempting to conquer territory, CNN notes.

The latest videos from the fighting in Donetsk region showed the enormous power of these bombs as they hit power plants, factories and high-rise buildings – places where Ukrainians usually coordinate their defenses.

The FAB-1500 is guided to the target by a guidance system and detachable wings that allow it to glide to the target. Joseph Trevithick, who wrote about the bomb’s development for TheWarZone, says they “provided many Russian tactical aircraft with a new, much more destructive strike option that also helps pilots stay away from enemy defenses.”

“It’s Hell”

Last week, a soldier of the 46th Separate Airborne Brigade of Ukraine, stationed in the front-line city of Krasnohorivka in Donetsk region, told CNN that previously the Russians fired only artillery. “Now the Orks (Russians) occupied the city more aggressively and began to use Air Force equipment, especially the FAB-1500. Why do I use FAB-1500? Because the damage from it is very serious. If you survive, you’re guaranteed to get a concussion,” the Ukrainian military officer explained. “This puts a lot of pressure on the morale of the soldiers. Not all our boys can resist. Although they are more or less used to FAB-500 by now, FAB-1500 is hell,” said the Ukrainian.

The use of aerial bombs became a key element of the Russian offensive in the Donetsk region, in particular to break the Ukrainian defenses in and around Avdiivka, which fell in February.

“On the eve of and during the battle near Avdiivka, hundreds of aerial bombs were released in a few days. In just 48 hours, 250 such bombs were used in the direction of Avdiyivka,” Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat told CNN.

“Stupid bombs” have turned into formidable weapons

The FAB-1500 is the most powerful of the family of Soviet “dumb bombs” that are currently being reworked at a factory near Moscow into a cheap but powerful version of the missile.

Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, explained that “while airframe kits are more difficult to manufacture, the basic package of explosives is something they have in very large quantities.”

Therefore, the Russians have a lot of firepower, which they can apply to stationary defenses, increasing the number of Ukrainian casualties, although not yet enough to fundamentally change the front line, writes CNN.

“It’s not a cheap or quick transformation, but it’s still much less than the millions of dollars a rocket costs. This is a few pennies compared to a rocket,” says Ignat.

Non-stop production

Russian military bloggers started mentioning this weapon back in September of last year, when it was being tested for accuracy. The Fighterbomber Telegram channel noted that “after many months of trial and error,” the FAB-1500 hit its “combat target” for the first time “accurately.” The fighter-bomber, which is close to the Russian military and has almost half a million subscribers, claimed that the newly developed glider kit increased the range of the bombs. He also claimed that the FAB-1500 has an accuracy of five meters.

For several weeks, both Ukrainian and Russian sources have been talking about the use of a powerful bomb in Kherson in the south and Kharkiv in the north.

In January, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was seen visiting the KTRV plant – a major arms manufacturer – in the Moscow region, where he was shown wings being developed for a bomb. According to the ministry’s video, the company said it had developed a “high-precision” munition that turns old free-fall bombs into weapons that hover at a target. The plant manager proudly told Shoigu that productivity had increased by 40% since he switched to continuous production, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Converted FAB bombs can only be used against fixed targets, but in the war of attrition in the east, the main Ukrainian positions are generally known to the Russians.

They are not invulnerable

However, the Russian planes that send these bombs are not invulnerable. The Air Force of Ukraine said it shot down several Su-34 fighters in recent weeks. But most Ukrainian anti-aircraft weapons do not have the necessary range to destroy aircraft at a distance of 70 kilometers.

“Our air defense is getting stronger, but we still don’t have enough of it. Their goal is not only to hit our forward positions, but guided glide bombs fly further behind our defenders to hit rear command posts, rear supply, ammunition, etc.,” Yuriy Ignat told CNN. The Su-35 and Su-34 bombers of the attack aircraft are not approaching as close as we would like. But if we had a longer range of air defense, then we could shoot down these planes further (from our advanced forces),” the Ukrainian spokesman added.

RUSI’s Justin Bronk says the development of glide bombs has given the Russians the ability to use their tactical aircraft more effectively after its limited role in the first phase of the war. The American Patriot complex is almost the only defense that has the range to counter the threat, but the Ukrainians have limited numbers. And the supply of Patriot missiles is experiencing a crisis, given the delay by the US Congress in approving a new package of military aid to Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials, starting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, advocate almost daily for longer-range air defense weapons to counter the Russian air threat. The F-16 fighter jets, on which Ukrainian pilots are currently training, are unlikely to take to the skies over Ukraine before the second half of the year, but they could force Russian fighters to stay away.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces on the front lines, particularly in Donetsk, are subjected to a barrage of Russian airstrikes – sometimes more than 100 a day, according to the Ukrainian General Staff.

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