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Russia shared a video of what it said was a 3-ton glide bomb being dropped on Ukraine.
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One pilot boasted that the bomb was so big that it is difficult to imagine a target that would not be destroyed.
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Russian glide bombs are devastating because they can be fired from a distance that keeps the aircraft safe.
The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday shared a video of what it said was one of its Su-34 fighter jets dropping a FAB-3000 aircraft glide bomb about a Ukrainian military position.
FAB-3000 bombs weigh 6,600 pounds or 3.3 tons.
A Russian pilot boasted in the video that “it is difficult to imagine a target that would not be destroyed by an aircraft bomb of this size,” according to a translation of his comments by the Ukrainian news agency Pravda.
The video shows a bomb being attached to the bottom of a plane, followed by a similar bomb flying through the air, followed by aerial footage of an explosion between a group of buildings.
Russia is increasingly using glide bombs in his invasion of UkraineThe bombs are older munitions that have been upgraded with new guidance systems, allowing them to be fired remotely.
This is a major advantage and has allowed Russia to use them with devastating effect: aircraft can launch the bombs from a distance far enough away that Ukraine often cannot even shoot them down.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in March that Russia 700 glide bombs dropped on Ukraine between March 18 and 24 alone.
And the bombs are getting bigger. A video from last month captured what appeared to be the first time Russia used a three-ton glide bomb on Ukraine.
Experts say the only way Ukraine can properly defend itself against these kinds of bombs This can be done by intercepting Russian planes before they release their bombs, or by hitting the planes while they are still on the ground.
However, the US says that Ukraine cannot use the long-range equipment it has given to Ukraine to strike military targets deep inside Russia. That means Ukraine cannot strike many Russian airfields.
It is also a huge challenge to hit the bombs while they are in the air.
The bombs have a short flight time, a small radar signature and a non-ballistic trajectory, making them very difficult to intercept. Business Insider’s Jake Epstein previously reported.
Ukraine also says it does not have sufficient air defense systems.
Ukraine is developing our own glide bombs and also calls for more air defense systems from its allies.
Read the original article at Business insider