The Russian military is dropping up to 20 guided bombs on Ukrainian positions per day using its most sophisticated fighter jets, according to a Ukrainian military official.
Yurii Ihnat, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, told local media that the invading forces are using bombs that travel “dozens of kilometers” at high speed.
He further revealed that the weapons are being dropped from Su-35 and Su-34 fighter jets just outside the range of Kyiv’s air defense systems.
“This is a threat to us and we have to respond to it urgently,” the spokesman said.
Reported Attacks
Last month, the Ukrainian Air Force command announced that Moscow attacked Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast with 11 guided bombs.
An unexploded FAB-500 aerial bomb was also found in Donetsk on March 12, further proving that the Russian Aerospace Forces are using new high-precision glide bombs.
In January, an image of what appears to be a FAB-500M-62 bomb was shared on social media.
The bomb, with an unknown wing kit, was reportedly loaded onto a Russian Su-34 Fullback combat jet.
Lacking Defense Equipment
Despite the arrival of Western air defense systems, Ihnat said the Ukrainian military still lacks the equipment to effectively respond to guided bomb threats.
He emphasized the need for the Patriot air defense system and advanced warplanes to keep bomb-carrying Russian jets away.
“To push those jets further away from our borders, we need long-range air defense systems like Patriot, as well as modern multi-purpose fighter jets,” he expressed.