Russia has reportedly used new 1.5-ton UPAB-1500B gliding bombs designed to hit highly protected objects at up to 40 kilometers against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian military-focused media outlet Defense Express, citing its own unnamed sources.
The guided bomb, first unveiled at a Russian arms expo in 2019, has since undergone full testing, been delivered to the Russian air force, and received its first orders for export, the article said.
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According to its state-owned manufacturer, the bomb carries a 1,010 kg concrete-piercing high-explosive payload.
The use of the bombs was reportedly recorded a few weeks ago in Chernihiv Oblast, according to Defence Express. The targets were not specified.
Russia has made extensive use of air-dropped bombs in invasion of Ukraine, most notoriously in its strike on a drama theatre in Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast on March 16 last year, killing hundreds of civilians sheltering inside.
This story originally appeared in The Kyiv Independent