Russia's glide bombs devastating Ukraine's cities on the cheap

Russia is able to stockpile glide bombs in high quantities because they are quite easily produced. “The explosive part is essentially a conventional freefall iron bomb, of which Russia has hundreds of thousands in storage from the Soviet period,” says Prof Justin Bronk, airpower and military technology specialist at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi). “They are fitted with pop-out wings which, after the bomb is dropped, will flick out to allow it to glide much longer distances.” Their attached satellite guidance system allows targeting of a stationary position with relatively high accuracy. According to Prof Bronk, the mechanism of the bombs gives the Russians much of the functionality of a multi-million dollar missile, but for a fraction of the cost.