High explosive and cluster bombs fitted with “UMPC” guiding systems with a range of 40-60km (25-37 miles) are now said to be a central threat on the frontline, forcing back Ukrainian forces.
According to a Ukrainian government report obtained by the Guardian, such weapons fired from afar by aircraft “played a key role in the destruction of [the eastern city of] Avdiivka and the seizure of its ruins by Russia”.
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Russia’s air force appears to have been a key player in turning the tide of the war in the Kremlin’s favour in recent months at a time when Ukraine’s air defences are at a low ebb.
A recent paper from the International Institute for Strategic Studies warned: “Russia is using glide bombs, along with direct-attack munitions, in volume to overwhelm Ukrainian air defence.”
The thinktank noted that the source of the success of the weapon was the lack of capacity within the Ukrainian air defence.
“The reduced rate of missile engagements and the growing number of glide-bomb attacks are indicative of the scarcity of air-defence weapons,” they wrote. “This shortage is in part due to delays in European aid and the hold up of the latest US military-aid package, which is worth around $60bn. Passed by the US Senate in February, it has failed to win the support of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.”
Russia is reliant on foreign-made components but has not found any difficulty in importing them, despite the west imposing sanctions.
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