The most destructive for Ukraine: the BBC named Russia's cheapest and most effective weapons in the war

Why KABs are the most effective weapon of Russia/Collage 24 Channel

The Russian army is increasingly using Russian guided bombs to advance its offensive, particularly in the northern Kharkov region. BBC journalists noted that these weapons are cheap, but at the same time very destructive.

The authors of the material noted that, according to preliminary data , more than 200 KABs were used in just a week to shell Volchansk in northern Ukraine. Now it is difficult for our state to resist them.

Russia attacks Ukraine with KABs

Journalists noted that the massive use of guided bombs by Russia is a relatively recent event, which has proven devastating to Ukrainian forces in recent months. These bombs are built by adding folding wings and satellite navigation to old Soviet bombs. They are cheap but destructive.

A recent report from the Center for European Policy Analysis states that KABs were decisive in the February 2024 capture of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region. And now Russian troops are now using guided bombs to attack the city of Kharkov.

Police chief in Volchansk Alexey Kharkovsky said that the scale of Russian attacks with this type of weapon has increased sharply.< /p>

We've been hit by guided bombs quite often over the last six months, maybe five to ten bombs a week… but this month we've had far more of them than ever before,” he said.

In addition, Russia can stockpile KABs in large quantities because they are fairly easy to manufacture. According to Royal United Services Institute air power and military technology specialist Justign Bronk, the explosive part is essentially an ordinary free-falling cast iron bomb, hundreds of thousands of which have been stored in Russia since the Soviet period.

“They are equipped with retractable wings, which, after the bomb is dropped, will fold back so that it can glide over much greater distances. The satellite guidance system attached to them allows it to target a fixed position with relatively high accuracy,” the professor emphasized. < /p>

Bronk also noted that the bomb mechanism gives the Russians many of the functionality of a multi-million dollar missile, but at a fraction of the cost.

He says, that the Soviet bombs, which the Russians have in large quantities, are supplemented by sliding kits, which are mass produced and are quite simple from a mechanical point of view, meaning the cost of one weapon can be “anywhere from 20,000 to 30,000 US dollars.”

The destruction from KABs is significant

Journalists noted that the destruction caused by guided bombs is extremely large. Indeed, for comparison, a Russian 152-mm shell contains about 6.5 kilograms of explosives, while even the smallest bomb, FAB-500, contains more than 200 kilograms.

Professor Bronk explains that since CABs generate much greater explosive power, they are more likely to cause collapse or fatalities even in fairly well-fortified positions. A powerful explosion also has a strong effect on the human body.

These bombs complicate Ukraine's defensive strategy because the Russians can simply continuously bomb fixed positions while they won't go away, he says.

Ukrainian security analyst Maria Zolkina told reporters that the use of guided bombs is a concern and that the bombs create “a new era for the military situation.” on the ground.

“KABs allow Russia to destroy Ukrainian defensive lines without using their infantry. These weapons have a completely different effect than artillery fire or even missile strikes,” Zolkina explained.

George Barros, of the US Institute for the Study of War, says that while the situation in Ukraine is complex, another worrying development could be around the corner. He notes that there is evidence that a production line capable of producing guided bombs weighing more than three tons is being installed at a plant about 400 kilometers east of Moscow.

What countermeasures are there for guided bombs

Professor Bronk says intercepting bombs in flight is not a viable solution due to the sheer number of bombs available Russians. Therefore, the only solution, short of a ground invasion, is to target the aircraft that are dropping them, either in flight or on the ground.

Journalists also noted that the US Patriot surface-to-air missile system can shoot down fighter-bombers, but only if it is located near the front line. Professor Bronk says that it is a risk for the SAM to be hit by Russian ballistic missiles.

So the only option left is to use long-range missiles or drones to target Russian air bases. However, this decision is not without problems.

After all, the United States, the largest supplier of military aid to Ukraine, prohibits Kyiv from using any of its weapons systems on the internationally recognized territory of Russia. While this does not apply to Crimea or occupied Ukraine, it does mean that airfields within Russia are prohibited.