Ukrainians were told what reactive guided bombs are, with which Russia has begun to strike cities in the rear.
As reported by 'Hvylya', this is mentioned in a material by the BBC.
Expansion of the application geography
On October 24, a case of using a modernized guided aerial bomb over the Odesa region was recorded for the first time. The Air Force Command warned about a bomb moving over the Black Sea towards the port city of Yuzhne.
The head of the Odesa regional military administration, Oleh Kiper, characterized the situation as a serious new threat to the region. According to him, such attacks pose a colossal danger to the civilian population and can lead to massive destruction.
Evolution of aerial bombs
- First generation: guided bombs with universal planning and correction modules
Since late 2023, the Russian army has begun to massively use guided aerial bombs based on Soviet FAB-250 and FAB-500. The key innovation is the universal planning and correction module (UPCM) — an aluminum device with folding wings, equipped with satellite and inertial navigation, as well as countermeasures against electronic jamming.
- New generation: reactive guided bombs
The latest modification has a twice greater range — up to 150-200 kilometers. GUR representative Vadym Skibitsky reported that during tests in September-October, a range of 193 kilometers was achieved. The general warned about the transition to serial production of such munitions.
Technical characteristics of the new weapon
Modernized bombs are known under the names 'Thunder-1' (Thunder-E1, 'Thunder-2') or UMPB-5R. Electronic warfare specialist Serhiy Bezkresnyi describes their characteristics:
- Warhead: 100 kilograms
- Diameter: 30 centimeters
- Design: complete body, similar to a cruise missile
Chinese component
Analysis of a bomb shot down on October 20, which flew over 120 kilometers to Poltava, revealed the use of the SW800 engine from the Chinese company Swiwin. This is a civilian model costing 15-17 thousand dollars, available on marketplaces. Russia has previously used similar engines in the cruise missiles C-8000 'Banderole'.
Threat to rear cities
Considering the established production and Soviet reserves of FABs, the new weapon poses a serious danger to cities located at a distance of 100-200 kilometers from the front line: Dnipro, Chernihiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv.
Unlike ordinary guided bombs, which are used by the hundreds every day, reactive bombs are still used episodically.
Electronic warfare problem
In almost four years of full-scale war, a fully effective solution against guided bombs has not been found. Although Ukrainian electronic warfare reduces the accuracy of hits, even a missed bomb, with hundreds of kilograms of explosives, causes enormous damage to civilian objects.
Head of the electronic and cyber warfare department Ivan Pavlenko explains that the enemy systematically strikes at populated areas for intimidation and displacement of residents. Despite the high effectiveness of Ukrainian electronic warfare against navigation systems, this forces the opponent to continuously improve their equipment.
Destruction of carriers
The most effective way is to shoot down carrier planes, primarily Su-34 and Su-35. However, this is complicated by the lack of long-range air defense systems.
Patriot systems can hit such planes at a distance of up to 160 kilometers, but their number in Ukraine is limited. Additionally, moving to the front line creates additional risks, and the latest reactive guided bombs with a range of 200 kilometers can be launched beyond the reach of even these systems.
Available options
Ukraine has several strategies:
- Improving electronic warfare to divert bombs from targets
- Intercepting in flight using fighters
- Using anti-aircraft missiles (an expensive option)
Earlier, Putin suddenly announced the 'proximity to the end of the war'.
The emergence of new reactive guided aerial bombs increases the danger for cities located up to 200 kilometers from the front line. This weapon poses serious threats to the civilian population and infrastructure, requiring Ukraine to seek effective countermeasures.