CNN reports.
It is noted that the FAB-1500 bomb is a 1.5-ton weapon, almost half of which consists of high explosives. It is dropped by fighter jets from a distance of about 60-70 km, outside the range of many Ukrainian air defense systems, the publication writes. The FAB-1500 is another example of how Russia is waging its war in Ukraine, causing massive destruction before attempting to seize territory.
The FAB-1500 is guided by a targeting system and slide-out wings that allow it to glide toward the target. Joseph Trevithick, who wrote about the bomb's development for TheWarZone, says they “offer a new and far more destructive stand-off strike option for many of Russia’s tactical jets that also help pilots stay further away from enemy defenses.”
A soldier with the 46th separate airmobile brigade told CNN from Krasnohorivka, Donetsk region: “Previously, we were only shelled with artillery. Now the orcs [Russians] have taken on the town more aggressively [and] started using air force assets, particularly the FAB-1500.”
According to him, these bombs cause significant destruction and "if you survive, you are guaranteed to have contusion." He added that this puts great pressure on the morale of the soldiers.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told CNN that hundreds of bombs were launched in the days leading up to and during the battle for Avdiivka, including 250 in the Avdiivka sector alone in 48 hours.
The FAB-1500 is the most powerful in a family of Soviet-era 'dumb bombs' that are being converted at a factory near Moscow into a cheap but potent version of a missile, CNN reports.