KIEV, UKRAINE — Russia began bombing Ukraine with a new aerial gliding bomb weighing a ton and a half [1,500 kg; 1.5 tons]. It is most likely a UPAB-1500B designed and capable of striking highly protected objects. Ukrainian forces cannot counter this weapon, says the spokesman of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mr. Yuriy Ignat.
The UPAB-1500B is a GLONASS-guided bomb. It was officially accepted into service in 2019 as part of the Russian Aerospace Forces [VKS]. The bomb can be dropped from Su-24M, Su-34, Su-35, and Mig-35 aircraft. The UPAB-1500B is in service only in Russia. Of the total weight of the bomb, 1,000 kg weighs only the warhead. Its range is 50 km.
Mr. Ignat stressed that, according to him, Moscow can afford to use this bomb indefinitely. Such a statement implies three possibilities: Russia has a large number of manufactured bombs, and the production of such bombs continues at full speed or both. BulgarianMilitary.com recalls that only 48 hours ago, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Mr. Sergey Shoigu, visited such a factory – for the production of ammunition and bombs. From the footage, it became clear that the plant was operating despite the economic sanctions imposed by the US and its allies, implying the restriction of imports of some components.
Mr. Ignat recalled that Ukraine cannot currently counter these Russian bombs, but could counter if allies provide more Patriot and SAMP\T air defense systems, as well as American F-16 fighter jets. The F-16 is needed to use its beyond-visual-range strike capabilities. This will help the Ukrainian Air Force to take out the Russian fighters at long distances, which will greatly reduce the release of this type of bomb.
However, Russia does not only use such heavy bombs. The use of 500-kilogram bombs on Ukrainian positions has been observed for at least the last 30 days. Some of them are capable of flying up to 70 km to hit the target, which gives greater security to Russian fighters. This is exactly what Mr. Ignat commented on, saying that the Su-35 and Su-35 dropped these bombs “from a considerable distance”.
Criticism of the media
Since the beginning of the war, Mr. Ignat rarely allows himself to criticize the media, especially the Ukrainian ones. Not this time, when he touched on the topic in the Telegram channel using the account of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Criticism was directed against some Ukrainian media, which write about the number of MiG-29s available to the Ukrainian Air Force. According to some media, Ukraine has 72 MiG-29 fighter jets, which equates to literally three fighter brigades.
“Where does the number 72 come from?” Ignat asked angrily. He reiterated that Ukraine has five combat brigades, three of which are equipped with MiG-29s. In this regard, Mr. Ignat recalled that the Slovak and Polish MiG-29, which Ukraine half-match is good news, but does not solve the problem. And it is known: Russia has air superiority in the areas where the hostilities are taking place.
Propaganda
Such a statement by Mr. Ignat reinforces our focus on the media since the end of the war. Disinformation flows from both sides: Russia and Ukraine. Propaganda has actually been a part of warfare throughout history, it is in the present, and it most likely will be in the future. This is because propaganda is a weapon of war as well.
In this regard, the information about the losses since the beginning of the war, including equipment and manpower, remains unclear. Both sides are throwing figures at the public that can in no way be proven at this stage.
In the Western media, Ukraine is winning the war, while at the same time, Ukrainian leaders admit that Russia still holds superiority on the battlefield. Ukraine is currently suffering almost daily Russian bomb and missile attacks. If, according to Mr. Ignat, Kiev cannot counter, then this contradicts the preferences of articles and materials in the media, beyond the scope of military actions. Experts say the war in Ukraine would have ended with negotiations if not for supplies from the US and allies.
The truth, for now, is this: Russia and Ukraine are using manipulative media channels to achieve military triumph on the battlefield. But the truth has another face: when the war is over, then the true numbers regarding the losses between the two belligerent countries will be assessed.
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