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It weighs over a ton and causes unimaginable damage with every impact: the Russian FAB-1500 glide bomb. The weapon is increasingly becoming a nightmare for Ukraine.
As CNN reports, Russia is on the verge of decimating Ukrainian defenses with the use of FAB-1500s. This could upset the balance between the two forces at the front.
The Russian armed forces have a double advantage
The special thing about the weapon: The glide bomb is not a groundbreaking new discovery. Rather, Russia has simply converted a simple Soviet-era free-fall bomb into an effective and deadly hover bomb.
Almost half of the weapon, which weighs one and a half tons, consists of explosives. Unlike ordinary free-fall bombs, it can be dropped by fighter jets from a height of 60 to 70 kilometers, that is, beyond the range of many Ukrainian air defense systems.
Russia therefore kills two birds with one stone. On the one hand, the pilots who drop the bombs do not have to fear an immediate Ukrainian response, and on the other hand, the weapon causes enormous destruction on the ground. According to CNN, Russian forces have already razed thermal power plants, factories and high-rise buildings in the Donetsk region.
Pilots are spared from counterattacks
It already seems clear that the technical upgrade of the bomb was worth it for Kremlin boss Putin. The FAB-1500 becomes a deadly weapon thanks to a guidance system and deployable wings that allow you to glide to the selected target.
According to Joseph Trevithick, writing for The War Zone, the glide bomb represents “a new and far more destructive option for many Russian fighter jets, allowing pilots to stay further away from enemy defenses.”
This thorn in the side of the Ukrainian defense is making itself felt. “In the past we were only shelled by artillery. Now the Russians have attacked the city more aggressively and started using air assets,” a soldier from the 46th Airborne Brigade told CNN. «Why are you using the FAB-1500? Because the damage they cause is very great.”
The morale of the soldiers suffers
All this has a huge impact on the morale of the soldiers, who must constantly prepare for danger from the air. “The FAB-1500 is hell,” the soldier continued.
The use of FAB bombs has now become a crucial part of the Russian offensive in the Donetsk region. The weapon was used particularly extensively in the destruction of Ukrainian defense lines in and around Avdiivka.
After all: the Russian glide bomb has one weak point. Once this is released, it can no longer be controlled. The FAB-1500 is therefore completely unsuitable in combat against mobile targets.
For the Russian armed forces, this should be the least of their worries. After all, this is not the first time they have resorted to backbreaking destruction and then deployed large-scale ground forces. (ced)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
