Russia’s upgraded FAB-500 glide bombs, launched from Su-34 fighter-bombers, have become a central weapon in its air campaign against Ukraine, according to The National Interest. These bombs—retrofitted with guidance kits—allow long-range, precise strikes from within Russian airspace, enabling daily barrages on Ukrainian positions. The cost-effective FAB-500, combined with the Su-34’s reach and payload capacity, has reshaped battlefield dynamics, stalling Ukrainian advances and highlighting vulnerabilities in Western air defense strategies. They write:

The Russian Air Force has been pounding their Ukrainian rivals in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. At the forefront of this air war is Russia’s upgraded FAB-500 glide bombs, which have transformed Russia’s strike capabilities since the full-scale invasion in 2022. […]

As of 2025, thousands of such munitions have been deployed, reshaping the conflict’s dynamics in regions like Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kursk. […]

This tactic, dubbed “glide bomb terror,” has inflicted heavy civilian and military trolls, with over 900 bombs dropped in single days in Zaporizhzhia alone in September 2024. The low unit cost of the FAB-500—under $20,000 per bomb—allows sustained use, contrasting Ukraine’s reliance on expensive Western interceptors. Electronic warfare has jammed some UMPK guidance, reducing accuracy in contested areas, but this solution is hardly bulletproof.

The Su-34-FAB-500 duo exemplifies Russia’s adaptation to attrition warfare, prioritizing volume over precision. It has stalled Ukrainian counteroffensives and warned NATO of glide bomb vulnerabilities in peer conflicts. As the war enters its fourth year in 2025, these weapons underscore the evolving role of affordable, upgraded legacy systems in prolonged invasions.

Ukraine’s New Glide Bomb

In response, Ukraine has unveiled a new homegrown glide bomb, first seen mounted on a MiG-29, that mirrors Russia’s UMPK design, according to The WarZone. Intended to convert standard bombs into GPS-guided standoff munitions, this domestically developed weapon represents Ukraine’s strategic shift toward self-reliant, scalable solutions. Reportedly developed by the Medoid bureau, it offers a range of up to 80 kilometers and is aimed at countering Russia’s mass deployment of glide bombs, while easing Ukraine’s dependence on limited, high-cost Western precision weapons. They write:

A Ukrainian MiG-29 Fulcrum has been seen, apparently for the first time, armed with an air-launched munition analogous to the Russian UMPK, a fairly crude type of guided glide bomb that has nevertheless caused enormous difficulties for Ukrainian air defenses. The appearance of the weapon on the MiG underscores Ukraine’s continued efforts to field standoff munitions, to protect its air assets, and to press home more effective attacks on Russian targets across the front lines. Most significantly, perhaps, the development highlights Ukraine’s major push to introduce more advanced homegrown weapons, reducing its reliance on Western-supplied ordnance. […]

Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet spotted with what appears to be the analogue of a Russian guided aerial bomb with the UMPK, installed under its wing.

In June 2025, it became publicly known that Ukraine have begun tests of what can be considered to be its analogue of the Russian… pic.twitter.com/Ua0Oglxu5Y

— Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) September 1, 2025

With the Ukrainian Air Force’s demand for weapons that can be launched at a safer distance from Russian air defenses, and the tempo of airstrikes in general, it’s likely we will see more of these weapons in the near future.