Errant bomb destroys Russian homes in Belgorod amid cross-border strikes

Russians are bombing targets in Ukraine with gliding bombs from the FAB family with UMPK modules. They are dropped from a high altitude, allowing them to cover dozens of miles. On 4 May 2024, one of the bombs, which was supposed to fall on Kharkiv, malfunctioned and instead fell on the Russian city of Belgorod.

This is not the first instance of an FAB bomb with a UMPK module falling in Belgorod, over which Russians are massively dropping them while attacking Ukrainian targets in the vicinity of Kharkiv. Sometimes, the wing deployment mechanism fails, and the gliding bomb behaves like a regular one.

This time, the bomb fell on a residential area, damaging 30 buildings and 10 cars. The destruction and lack of information about fatalities indicate that a relatively light bomb, possibly weighing 250 kg or 500 kg, rather than a type like the one-and-a-half-tonne version, fell.

FAB bombs - hard target to shoot down

Russians have been experimenting with UMPK modules (Unified Set of Planning and Correction Modules) since the early 2000s, but their first use did not occur until the end of 2022. Conceptually, these are bombs identical to JDAM/-ER, where an old, unguided bomb is fitted with an inertial and satellite navigation module (GLONASS for Russia) and deployable wings.

This package turns an old aerial bomb into a precision weapon with a range of dozens of miles and an accuracy of about 10 metres. These types of bombs, due to their very high flight speed and thick bodies resistant to fragments from anti-aircraft missile warhead shrapnel, are very difficult targets to shoot down.

Moreover, a few hundred kilograms of TNT in case of hitting a field fortification ensures its complete destruction. Thanks to these bombs, the Russians have been able to dislodge Ukrainians from Avdiivka largely. The best protection against them is shooting down the plane carrying them before it drops them.