Russia's use of glide bombs played a crucial role in enabling Vladimir Putin to secure control over the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka earlier this year.
However, Russia faced a major setback when Ukraine launched a series of "coordinated strikes" on a key launchpad for these glide bomb attacks.
Moscow has been deploying these bombs since early 2023, inflicting significant damage on Kyiv's defense forces. Recently, the Ukrainian military claimed to have "significantly reduced" Russia's capacity to use these bombs against its positions by striking the Kushchyovskaya airbase.
An anonymous source told Sky News that this strike would "seriously impact" the ability of Russian forces to advance towards the town of Chasiv Yar.
"The degradation of this airfield and its capabilities will significantly diminish Russia's ability to bomb Ukrainian troops on the front line," the insider explained. Kushchyovskaya is located in Krasnodar Krai in southern Russia.
The source mentioned that the attacks, which have not been independently verified, targeted Russian aircraft stationed at the airfield, including the SU-34 and SU-35, which can launch glide bombs.
They added, "This airbase and others conduct between 100-150 sorties per day, many of which involve launching munitions along the frontline positions around Chasiv Yar. These glide bombs were essential in capturing Avdiivka and are currently heavily used in Chasiv Yar. They allow Russian aircraft to release bombs from a distance, reducing the risk from Ukrainian air defenses."
Earlier this month, Russia launched an offensive in the Kharkiv area, intensifying pressure on Ukraine’s outnumbered and outgunned forces, which are awaiting delayed deliveries of crucial weapons and ammunition from Western partners.
Russia has also been testing defenses at various points along the roughly 1,000-kilometer front line that extends from north to south through eastern Ukraine. This front line has seen little change over the past 18 months, resulting in a war of attrition.
Recent Russian attacks have occurred in the eastern Donetsk region, as well as the Chernihiv and Sumy regions in the north and the southern Zaporizhzhia region. The apparent aim is to stretch Ukraine's depleted resources and exploit any weaknesses.
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