Overview
- Russian footage released on Monday purports to show a FAB-3000 glide bomb hitting near Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia and causing a large crater and wide-area damage, though independent verification is limited.
- The FAB-3000 is a roughly 3,000 kg Soviet-era high-explosive bomb that analysts say now carries about 1.2–1.4 tonnes of explosive when converted with a UMPK guidance and wing kit.
- UMPK kits turn the unguided bomb into a glide weapon with an estimated range of about 50–60 kilometres, letting launching aircraft release from well behind front lines and outside many air-defence zones.
- Only a small set of Russian aircraft can carry the weapon, most often the Su-34 and long-range Tu-22M3 or certain Tu-95s, which limits launch platforms but helps conserve Russia’s precision missiles.
- Ukraine and nine European countries have announced a joint air-defence effort to counter growing long-range strikes, a move that could change how European partners pool radar, interceptors, and funding for layered defence.