Russia may have started to deploy upgraded FAB bombs with extended ranges, according to reports, after Moscow attacked Ukraine’s southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia overnight into Monday.
Russian independent news outlet Astra reported late on Sunday that Russia might have used “upgraded Soviet FAB aerial bombs for the first time,” after explosions were reportedly heard in Zaporizhzhia at about 11 p.m. local time.
A brief clip published by the outlet, which Newsweek could not independently verify, shows a large explosion against the night sky in what appears to be a built-up or residential neighborhood.
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire after a Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on September 23. Russian independent news outlet Astra reported late on Sunday that Russia may have attacked the regional capital city of Zaporizhzhia with “upgraded Soviet FAB aerial bombs for the first time,” after explosions were reportedly heard at about 11 p.m. local time.
Ukraine Ministry of Internal Affairs via AP
Kremlin-linked Russian outlet Top War reported on Monday that Moscow had not used KABs—as some reports suggested—but FAB aerial bombs fitted with a guided planning and correction module, known as a UMPK, for the first time to reach the city.
Ukraine’s air force posted alerts about KAB bombs in Zaporizhzhia on Sunday night, as well as for the northeastern Kharkiv and Sumy regions.
Ukraine has struggled to contend with Russia’s vast arsenal of glide bombs or upgraded Soviet-era weapons that have proved highly destructive and allow Moscow’s aircraft to stay out of the range of many of Ukraine’s air defense systems. Psychologically, too, glide bombs quickly became one of the Russian weapons most feared by Ukrainian troops and civilians.
Though both are formidable glide weapons, KAB bombs are designed to be “smart” bombs with precision guidance systems, while FAB bombs are not, said Katja Fedina, senior analyst in defense and security at the European branch of the RAND think tank.
FABs are crafted to be dropped on a target, but to have course correction and guidance, they need to be fitted with UMPK, Fedina told Newsweek. With new glide wings and sensors, Fedina added, “this also makes it possible to drop these outside the reach of air defense as the UMPK provides an extended gliding range.”
Ukrainian authorities in Zaporizhzhia said 16 people were injured, with four hospitalized, after Russia attacked the center of Zaporizhzhia.
Russia carried out “at least seven airstrikes” on the city and the surrounding district overnight, Zaporizhzhia regional governor Ivan Fedorov said in a post to messaging app Telegram. Fedorov did not specify the type of weapon used to strike southeastern Ukraine between Sunday and Monday.
Ukraine’s air force declined to comment on Monday on the reports that upgraded FAB bombs were used. Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.
Russia has managed to increase the range of these FAB bombs to include Zaporizhzhia, Top War reported.
Reports from Russian media suggest that Moscow is now using a new, long-range glide bomb, referred to as UMPB D-30SN, military expert and journalist David Hambling said. The bomb has a range of about 50 miles, adding 50 percent to the distance it is able to travel to a Ukrainian target, he told Newsweek.
“Given that Russia appears to have ample supplies of glide bombs and aircraft to deliver them, this will enable them to carry out a large-scale bombardment,” Hambling said.
