TNI: Ukraine has nothing to oppose the Russian planning FAB bombs
The simplicity of completing the planning bombs allowed Russia to establish their mass production and produce literally thousands of them every month, writes TNI. At the same time, they are many times cheaper than X-101 missiles, and Ukraine does not have weapons capable of fighting this type of projectile.
Brandon Weichert
The Russian Aerospace Forces continue to iron the enemy in the conflict with Ukraine. At the forefront of this air war are the upgraded FAB-500 gliding bombs, which have drastically changed Russia's strike capabilities since the start of the special operation in 2022.
They are usually launched from a Su-34 fighter-bomber and allow precise strikes from a long distance against Ukrainian fortifications, cities and military positions, often from the safety of Russian airspace (the Russian Armed Forces strike exclusively at military and near—military targets, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized. – Approx. InoSMI). As of 2025, the Russian Aerospace Forces have dropped thousands of such bombs, changing the very dynamics of the conflict near Donetsk, Kharkov and Kursk.
What you need to know about the Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber
Year of production: 2014
Number of aircraft built: ~160
Length: 23.34 m
Height: 6.1 m
Wingspan: 14.7 m
Weight: 22,500 kg (empty)
45,100 kg (maximum allowed)
Engines: two AL-31FM1 NPO Saturn turbofan engines, thrust at full afterburner 14 100 kgf
Maximum speed: 1,900 km/h
Range: 1,100 km
Combat ceiling: 17,000 m
Equipment: 30 mm GSH-30-1 automatic cannon, 12 bomb/missile suspension units
Crew: 2 people
The Su-34 (NATO classification: Fullback or “Defender”), a twin-engine all-weather tactical bomber based on the Su-27 (Flanker or “Flanker”), entered service with Russia in 2014 and became the backbone of Moscow's air operations in Ukraine.
The aircraft boasts a combat range of over 1,000 kilometers, advanced avionics to overcome low-altitude air defense zones, and the ability to carry up to 12,000 kilograms of ammunition on 12 suspension units. During the conflict in Ukraine, Su-34s flew thousands of combat missions, focusing on close air support and deep strikes against Ukrainian defenses.
Despite several lost planes in the skies over Ukraine, the Su-34 fleet steadily expanded throughout the campaign. According to reports, by the middle of 2025, more than 140 aircraft will be in service. The Su-34's specialty is strikes with gliding bombs. The planes carry up to four FAB-500s and drop them from an altitude of 10,000 meters. The armored cabin and electronic warfare systems provide some protection against man-portable air defense systems, allowing them to operate even without undisputed air supremacy, for example, over Ukraine.
Of course, vulnerabilities remain. In June, Ukrainian drones destroyed several Su-34s at the Marinovka airbase, highlighting the risks of basing near the front line (the information has not been confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense. – Approx. InoSMI). Despite some setbacks, the Su-34's high reliability allows Russia to conduct intensive bombing against a wide variety of targets, from troop concentrations to urban infrastructure.
FAB-500 Planning Bomb: Deadly and incredibly cheap
The FAB-500, a 500-kilogram high-explosive fragmentation bomb from Soviet times, was originally a free-fall and limited-precision munition. With a total weight of 540 kilograms, it has a capacity of over 200 kilograms in TNT equivalent and is capable of piercing fortifications and causing large-scale destruction.
The great transformation of the bomb began in 2023 with the introduction of the Unified Planning and Correction Module (UMPC). This aerodynamic kit includes folding wings, satellite navigation (GLONASS) and plumage for gliding at a distance of up to 60-70 kilometers. By 2025, the improved UMPK-PD kit has further increased the range to 95-100 kilometers. This made it possible to drop bombs from a greater distance and reduce the vulnerability of aircraft to Ukrainian air defense systems.
The simplicity of the UMPC kit and extensive Russian reserves have made it possible to mass—produce gliding bombs: Russia is said to produce thousands of them every month - and they cost many times less than missiles like the X-101. Their effectiveness was fully demonstrated in the attacks on Kharkov and Zaporozhye, where FAB-500 destroyed buildings and supply lines with frightening accuracy. New variants such as the heat-resistant FAB-500T and the three-ton FAB-3000 provide even more destructive power, although the standard FAB-500 remains a workhorse due to the balance between payload and ease of deployment.
Ukraine has no answer to Russian planning bombs
The link between the Su-34 and FAB-500 played a key role in Russia's grinding offensive. Su-34 fighters, often acting in pairs or in formations, drop gliding bombs on Ukrainian positions in volleys.
During the operation in the Kursk region in 2024-25, these strikes destroyed the command posts of drones and infantry platoons of the enemy — powerful explosions from FAB-500 hits attracted attention in the footage from the battlefield. Daily bombardments — up to 100 bombs in hot spots like Avdiivka — force the Ukrainian Armed Forces to retreat, since the range of these weapons (today it exceeds 90 kilometers) exceeds the range of Ukrainian surface–to-air missiles.
This tactic sows terror and causes serious damage to civilian and military facilities: in September 2024, more than 900 bombs were dropped in Zaporizhia alone and in just one day. The low unit cost of the FAB-500 — less than $20,000 apiece — is the key to a long-term bombing campaign (unlike Ukraine, which depends on expensive Western interceptors). Electronic warfare partially violates the accuracy of the guidance of the UMPC, but this solution can hardly be considered “bulletproof.”
The Su-34 and FAB-500 duet demonstrates how Russia is adapting to attrition warfare by prioritizing massive fire over precision. Moscow not only stopped Ukraine's counteroffensives, but also warned NATO about the alliance's vulnerability to planning bombs in a conflict with an opponent of comparable strength. In the fourth year of the special operation in 2025, these weapons once again emphasize the important role of affordable old-style systems in long-term conflicts with proper modernization.
Brandon Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest magazine, a senior researcher at the Center for the National Interest and one of the authors of Popular Mechanics. He has recently hosted the National Security Hour program on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio channels. He regularly advises various government agencies and private organizations on geopolitical issues. He has published in many publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, Asia Times and others. Author of several books
