The Russia-Ukraine conflict is slowly becoming the new normal for the fighting never seems to stop with little or no hopes of a ceasefire or a peace deal, at least in the near future. Every other day, the world news section has a story either about a Russian strike on Ukraine or vice versa.
Recently, Moscow launched its biggest-ever air attack on Kyiv since the war started in February 2022, following which it has emerged that a Russian glide bomb attack in eastern Ukraine has killed 24 people, who were out to collect their pensions. Could the war get any more poignant?
A Russian glide bomb struck a village in eastern Ukraine as people stood in line in the open air Tuesday morning (September 9, 2025) to collect their monthly pension. The blast killed at least 24 people and injured 19 others, the Ukraine Emergency Service said. The village Is less than 10 km from the front line.
What are Russian glide bombs destroying Ukrainian villages?
It is widely known fact now that Ukraine, no matter how small in size, has significantly amped up its air defenses and attack mechanisms in fight against it much larger competitor – Russia. This left Moscow consolidating its forces and fix mistakes made in the initial build-up and operation.
Here’s when Russia apparently came up with glide bombs that are now destroying villages in Ukraine. The earliest mention of Russian glide bombs appears to have come from pro-Russian Telegram accounts, which mentioned a form of guided bomb in early 2023.
Glide bombs: What are they and how much destruction can they cause?
The air-launched weapons are typically Soviet-era conventional ordnance retrofitted with wings and satellite navigation systems to increase their range and accuracy. Known as “glide bombs,” they are cheaper and more abundant than the ballistic and cruise missiles Russia frequently fires at Ukraine.
Ranging from 500 kg to 3,000 kg, the bombs are often released from beyond the reach of Ukrainian air defences. Their sheer destructive power allows them to devastate even heavily fortified Ukrainian positions, which have been steadily weakening in the east. “They are very simple in essence, so you cannot jam them, you cannot hide from them,” Ukraine’s former foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba told the Financial Times earlier in 2024.
When did Russia step up their use?
Moscow significantly increased the deployment of guided bombs at the start of last year during the capture of the now-destroyed eastern city of Avdiivka. The weapons also played a crucial role in a Russian cross-border offensive last May in the Kharkiv region.
Initially, the glide bombs were not particularly accurate, but unlike artillery and drones, there is nothing Ukrainians can really do to defend against them. “These bombs completely destroy any position. All buildings and structures simply turn into a pit after the arrival of just one,” the commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Brigade posted on Telegram in 2024.
Where have the attacks been concentrated?
Russian forces have used guided bombs against Kharkiv city itself, killing seven people last month in a strike on a residential building, according to Ukrainian officials. Just last week, another attack on an apartment block left 21 people wounded.
Why these glide bombs are bad news for Ukraine is because the damage and destruction they can cause is massive. The ordnance thought to be most commonly used for glide bombs is the FAB-1500, which weighs 1.5 tonnes. For comparison, picture a Russian 152mm shell. It has about 6.5 kg of explosive material while even the smallest glide bomb contains more than 200 kg.