On March 10, Russia launched its FAB-1500 bombs on Ukraine, destroying its front lines as well as its main defense locations.
The Russians created the FAB-1500 using iron used in the USSR, fashioning destructive bombs that are delivered by fighter jets. This weapon was first revealed to the public when Russian military bloggers were posting about the bombs while testing their precision. Shortly after, the Fightbomber Telegram Channel, run by a captain of the Russian Armed Forces, declared the FAB-1500 was finally able to hit its target with complete accuracy for the first time.
The bomb is structured to have pop-out wings that allow it to glide toward its target, allowing for more accuracy and ultimately more destruction. Other than utterly destroying the Ukrainian front lines, these bombs have hit Ukraine’s main sources of defense such as thermal power plants, tower blocks, and factories, and even the battlelines in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, according to CNN.
This has been frustrating for the Ukrainian air force, as its entire means of defense has been completely decimated with the use of this weapon, and the magnitude with which the weapon attacks is even too much for many soldiers, as reported by a soldier from Ukraine’s 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade to The Independent.
“Previously, we were only shelled with artillery,” the soldier told CNN. “Now the [Russians] have taken on the town more aggressively [and] started using air force assets, particularly the FAB-1500.” The soldier further explained that the Ukrainian soldiers’ morale have decreased due to the destructive nature of the FAB-1500, describing the bomb as “hell.” Thus, recognizing the power of the most powerful Soviet-era “dumb bomb” and how devastating it is to Ukraine, Russia has resorted to making this one of its primary sources of destruction in the war, and are even converting it into a missile-like contraption at a plant in Moscow despite the economic challenges that come along with this plan.
Although Russia’s planes are not able to release the weapons invulnerably, as Ukraine had defeated multiple Russian military planes in the past few weeks, Ukrainian air defenses are still unable to reach planes that are around 70 kilometers away.
“Our air defense is getting stronger, but still we don’t have enough,” Yuri Ihnat, the spokesman of the Ukrainian Air Force, said. “[Russia’s] goal is not only to hit our frontline positions, but guided glide bombs are also flying further behind our defenders to hit rear command posts, rear supplies, ammunition, and so on. The attack aviation Su-35 and Su-34 bombers don’t approach as close as they would like to. Still, if we had more long-range air-defense we would be able to take down these jets further [from our frontlines].”
Despite this deadly Russian innovation, Ukraine continues to fight strong in its second year engaged in this conflict.
