Kathrine Frich
For months, Russian guided bombs have fallen across Ukraine’s skies with devastating regularity.
On the front line, soldiers say the strikes rarely hit military targets precisely, but their power is enough to destroy everything around them.
One Ukrainian scout believes these weapons are now doing more harm to civilians than to the troops they are meant to target.
Low accuracy, high risk
A reconnaissance officer from the 130th Battalion, known by his call sign “Marlboro,” told the outlet Kyjów24 that Russian KAB guided bombs remain a constant part of Moscow’s air assaults.
According to him, their poor accuracy makes them a bigger danger to people living behind the front than to the troops facing them.
“KABs pose a greater threat to civilians and the rear than the soldiers they are supposed to hit because they are highly inaccurate weapons. Even the long-range KABs used in recent weeks are inaccurate,” he said in the interview.
He added that the bombs often strike residential areas or logistical centers rather than direct combat positions.
Where the real threat lies
Marlboro explained that at the very edge of the battlefield, Ukrainian units face more immediate dangers from small attack drones and Lancet-type loitering munitions.
These systems, he said, create “kill zones” that hinder counterattacks and force troops to stay constantly alert.
By comparison, the KAB bombs, while powerful, are used at longer ranges and usually miss their intended targets.
“The KABs have always been there and will continue to be there,” the soldier said. “They are used repeatedly, and the damage they cause affects civilians and support units.”
His observations align with reports from local authorities in southern and central Ukraine, where repeated strikes have damaged civilian infrastructure in recent weeks.
Russian-made weapons
The KAB series includes several models of Russian-designed guided bombs, typically weighing around 500 kilograms. They are based on the older FAB-500 bombs but fitted with guidance systems.
One of the best-known versions, the KAB-500L, is laser-guided and carries about 450 kilograms of explosives. Under ideal conditions, it can hit within roughly seven meters of its target, but Ukrainian troops say those figures rarely reflect real battlefield performance.
The weapon can be released from aircraft such as the Su-24 or MiG-27 at altitudes between 500 and 5,000 meters and speeds of 550 to 1,100 kilometers per hour.
Once dropped, its onboard electronics guide it toward the target automatically, a “drop and forget” system that often proves unreliable when weather or countermeasures interfere.
Continuing bombardment
Despite questions about their precision, Russian forces continue to rely heavily on KAB bombs to pressure Ukrainian cities and supply lines.
Each new strike adds to the toll on infrastructure already strained by nearly four years of war.
For soldiers like Marlboro, the bombs are less a tactical challenge than a moral one.
“They don’t stop us from fighting,” he said, “but they keep hitting the people who can’t defend themselves.”
Sources: Kyjów24, Wirtualna Polska, Wikimedia Commons.
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation
