Russian forces deployed over 8,300 glide bombs on Ukraine in July, a record monthly figure since the full-scale invasion began. These weapons, often inaccurate but devastating, are increasingly used against civilian areas, causing rising casualties.
The record use of glide bombs highlights an escalating and particularly destructive phase of the Russia-Ukraine war, with significant implications for civilian safety and infrastructure, as Ukraine lacks reliable countermeasures.
Russian forces deployed a record-breaking number of over 8,300 air-dropped glide bombs on Ukraine in July, according to figures cited by the Defense Ministry. This figure surpasses the previous monthly record of 8,266 set in June.
These weapons, known as KABs (Kerovana Aviabomba) in Ukraine, are essentially repurposed aerial bombs fitted with wings and precision guidance systems like GPS or lasers. They allow Russian aircraft, typically Su-34s, to release them from a safe distance, outside the range of most Ukrainian air defense systems.
While intended for hardened targets such as bridges or command posts, the glide bombs, which can weigh between 300 kilograms and 3 metric tons, are often inaccurate. Their use has increasingly extended to built-up residential areas in cities further from the front lines, leading to significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction of apartment blocks. Cities like Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia have been affected by these attacks.