Europe | Cheap and nasty

Russia’s ferocious glide-bomb campaign

For now, Ukraine has no answer to it

The Russian Su-34 bomber aircraft and FAB-500 bombs equipped with high-precision guidance is seen before take off
Photograph: Getty Images

FOR THE past year, Russia has been stepping up its use of glide bombs. In recent months both the size of the bombs and the rate at which they are launched have increased sharply. So far they have mainly been used against Ukrainian troops on the front line. They demonstrated their effectiveness in February by bringing to an end Ukraine’s stubborn defence of Avdiivka, a coking town in the east. But they are now also being used to add a new dimension to Russia’s strategic air campaign, supplementing its limited supply of air-launched cruise missiles.

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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Cheap and nasty”

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