Ukraine develops its own glide bombs – those it got from the US often don't work

• Ukraine now makes its own glide bombs.

• Russia has used these bombs, which can be fired beyond the range of air defenses, to devastating effect.

• The United States gave some to Ukraine, but it would have had difficulty dealing with Russian jamming.

Ukraine is making its own glide bombs, trying to match the Russian weapon that causes so much damage.

The hope is that they will be more effective than those received so far from the West.

Brigadier General Serhii Holubtsov, chief of aviation of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said Ukraine would begin testing the domestically produced bombs in the coming weeks.

“We are currently working on the conversion and production of our own corrected bombs, based on conventional free-fall bombs,” he said in a radio interview, according to a translation by Ukrainian Pravda.

The bombs, also called glide bombs, have guidance systems that allow them to be launched remotely.

They became a major weapon during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russian planes are capable of dropping the bombs from a safe distance, making it very difficult for Ukraine to stop them.

Russia has stepped up their use in recent months, giving it a notable military advantage.

Russia uses them to pound the Kharkiv region, where it launched a major offensive last month.

Many experts believe the bombs played a crucial role in Russia's capture of the town of Avdiivka in February, its first major victory in months.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last month that Russia was using more than 3,000 bombs every month against Ukraine.

The West has given Ukraine glide bombs to use against Russia, but Reuters reported last month that those supplied by the United States had struggled to counter Russian jamming.

That means many missed their targets, three sources told Reuters.

Holubtsov said there were many complex decisions to be made regarding the Ukrainian pipe bombs, including “choosing the appropriate wing, GPS module and control module.”

“In a few weeks we should start testing the first batches of these bombs, which are Ukrainian-made,” he said.

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