Whole country at risk: Why new Russian guided bombs create global challenge for Ukraine
Expert Dmytro Zhmailo called them “a wake-up call,” warning that Russia could mass-produce thousands of cheap munitions.
Russian guided aerial bomb
Russia has used a new modification of guided aerial bomb (GAB) that reached as far as Poltava region. While experts do not call it a “super-weapon,” it poses a serious challenge to Ukraine because of its range and the potential for mass production.
This was stated by Dmytro Zhmailo, co-founder and executive director of the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation, during a telethon broadcast.
Upgrade with a jet engine
Zhmailo says that the new GAB differs from earlier versions, which were converted Soviet FAB-250/500/1000 bombs. He says the Russians are now “experimenting” with a jet engine.
“Most likely, the one that reached Poltava region, was one of the new developments launched from tactical aviation, capable of covering vast distances and equipped with various warheads,” the expert explained. These munitions have been detected before, including some that targeted Dnipro and were shot down.
Why it’s an “alarming signal”
According to Zhmailo, the primary issue lies not in technological uniqueness but in the potential scale of the threat.
1. Mass production. The Russians can manufacture thousands of these bombs, as they are relatively inexpensive—around $25,000 each.
2. Difficulty in interception. They are extremely hard to shoot down. The most effective method is to destroy their carriers, but this is costly.
3. Range. These bombs can reach beyond Poltava, expanding the potential strike zone.
The expert believes Russia is currently testing these new aerial bombs to deploy them on a massive scale in the future.
Ukrainian-French countermeasures
Amid this emerging threat, efforts to develop countermeasures are intensifying. Zhmailo revealed details of a Ukrainian-French program aimed at tackling GABs. “Methods are being developed based on the use of small, long-range UAVs, so that "this swarm of drones can effectively neutralize GABs,” he elaborated. Zhmailo added that Ukraine’s most critical military sites are shielded by robust electronic warfare (EW) systems, and for the enemy to breach their defenses, “they would need to deploy not one or two GABs, but at least 15–16, utilizing waves of aviation.”