Ukrainian troops jittery as Russia starts using powerful, gliding bombs on frontlines
Russia's powerful FAB-1500 bombs
Russia has reportedly started using a powerful aerial bomb on the frontlines in the Ukraine war, devastating enemy defences big time. Russian forces converted a basic Soviet-era weapon into a gliding bomb, so powerful that it could cause a crater 15 metres wide. The bomb, FAB-1500, is a 1.5-tonne weapon mounted over fighter jets and dropped from a high altitude, at least 60-70 km away from the area of impact.
This is how Russia decimates Ukraine’s ground forces before it tries to occupy a territory.
Russia used these bombs to raze Ukrainian thermal power plants, factories and tower blocks to the ground in the Donetsk region. These were the places from where Ukrainian forces would coordinate their attacks.
What makes FAB-1500 so dangerous?
FAB-1500’s gliding capacity enables Russia to take out enemies without having to rush closer to the frontlines and risk causalities. The bomb is navigated by a guidance system and its wings allow it to swim in the air.
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According to Joseph Trevithick, a defence expert, the bombs “offer a new and far more destructive stand-off strike option for many of Russia’s tactical jets that also help pilots stay further away from enemy defences.”
How Ukrainian troops are reacting?
Ukrainian troops say the damage inflicted by these bombs is “very serious” and impacting their “morale”. “Why they are using the FAB-1500? Because the damage done by it is very serious. If you survive, you are guaranteed to have a contusion,” One soldier from Ukraine’s 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade was quoted as saying by CNN.
“It puts a lot of pressure on soldiers’ morale. Not all of our guys can withstand it. While they are more or less used to the FAB-500 by now, but the FAB-1500 is hell,” he adds.
FAB-1500’s role in Fall of Avdiivka
Ukrainian officials say Russia had launched hundreds of these bombs on the eve of the fall of Avdiivka. Yuri Ihnat, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman, was quoted as saying by CNN: “On the eve of and during the battle of Avdiivka hundreds of air bombs were launched within days. There were 250 of them used in Avdiivka direction in 48 hours only.”
The FAB-1500 is the most powerful in a family of Soviet-era ‘dumb bombs’ now being converted at a plant near Moscow into a cheap but potent version of a missile.
(With inputs from agencies)