Russia's glide bombs could significantly influence the course of the Ukraine war

Russia is increasingly using glide bombs in airstrikes on Ukraine.

Pro-Russian war observers have high hopes for them in the Ukraine war.

KIEV/Moscow – Airstrikes play a key role during the spring offensive by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.

In a major attack on the Sumy region of Ukraine alone at the end of March, Russia dropped eleven bombs from the air on a city.

According to the

, they used so-called glide bombs, which appear to be an increasingly popular weapon in Russia's attempts to seize Ukrainian territory.

These glide bombs are said to be able to significantly influence the course of the Ukraine war.

With Russian planes beginning to drop glide bombs in large numbers earlier this year, Ukraine is having trouble preparing for a major offensive on Russian lines. 

In the Ukraine war, Russia's glide bombs are 'a really serious threat'

"This is a really serious threat," Alexander Kovalenko, a Ukrainian military analyst, told the

.

"We have to think about neutralizing them now." However, it remains to be seen whether Russia's glide bombs will also have a greater impact on the course of the Ukraine conflict.

Tanks, drones, anti-aircraft defenses: weapons for Ukraine

Tanks, drones, anti-aircraft defenses: weapons for Ukraine

Glide bombs are essentially conventional bombs equipped with navigation systems and wings, elaborate reports from

and

.

For some, this ability to fly is already built in during production, while others are modified later.

This would allow glide bombs to travel further and target more accurately than unguided bombs - or "dumb" bombs as they are also known. 

Ukraine War: Russia's 'winged' bombs are cheap and effective

According to Kovalenko, one of the reasons glide bombs are so threatening is that they can be dropped by Russian planes far beyond the range of Ukrainian air defenses.

Both the positions of the Ukrainian armed forces on the front line and the nearby cities of Ukraine could thus be targeted by Russia.

The "winged" bombs are also a far cheaper alternative to ballistic and cruise missiles for Russia, according to the

.

Given consistent reports of Russia's dwindling stocks of military equipment, Moscow may want to use glide bombs in Ukraine for financial reasons alone.

Russia uses glide bombs with “deadly one and a half tons” in Ukraine war

Russia is said to be using various types of glide bombs, including a modified FAB-500 with an attached wing and navigation equipment.

"These are not mini drones or even drones weighing 40 kilograms," explains the Kremlin's military blogger Alexander Sladkov via telegram post, but "deadly" weapons weighing "a ton and a half that pack a punch."

In early April, Ukrainian military spokesman Yuriy Ignat said the bombs posed a serious threat and said Russia was using up to 20 a day against Ukraine.

How the Russian glide bombs are to be fended off by Ukraine in the future, especially if Moscow should use them in large numbers, is so far unclear.

Ukraine war: Russia calculates economically with cheap bombs

An anonymous researcher and war observer tells The

that Ukraine is likely reluctant to use its limited inventory of expensive surface-to-air missiles against these comparatively cheap Russian glide bombs.

"This puts further pressure on the Ukrainian air defense network, among other things," he is quoted as saying.

Ukraine is probably "either unable or unwilling to shoot them down, for economic reasons."

According to the

the cost of each missile fired by Ukraine's air defense systems is sometimes in the millions of dollars.

However, the planned Ukrainian counter-offensive is more decisive for the outcome of the Ukraine war than a single weapon system, says Anders Puck Nielsen, a military analyst at the Royal Danish Defense Academy.

Ukraine war: Russia has an advantage – but “a system in itself makes no difference”

"If [the Ukrainians] don't want the conflict to become a frozen conflict along the current front lines, they will have to break through the front lines at some point," he continues.

The best time window for such an opportunity is probably summer.

"History teaches us that a system in itself makes no difference," says Nielsen, who pointed to the significant Russian casualties recently inflicted by Ukraine's use of US missile launchers HIMARS.

"Something like HIMARS definitely made a difference on the battlefield," adding, "But it still didn't end the war.