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Ukraine Gives Its Guided Bombs Turbojet Engines—and Far More Reach
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukraine has officially approved several domestically developed guided aerial bombs for military use, including turbojet-powered models designed to reach targets up to 200 kilometers away, a senior Armed Forces official said.
Brig. Gen. Andrii Lebedenko, deputy commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said several designs have already been used on the battlefield, while others remain in testing, according to ArmyInform on July 23.
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The effort began as a program to transform older aerial bombs into modern precision weapons. Ukraine had no domestic manufacturers capable of producing such systems when the task was established in 2024. It now has seven.
“This task was set in 2024. We did not have any such manufacturers in the country. Now there are already seven. They already know how to do it,” Lebedenko said.
He added that Ukraine has also developed a growing community of engineers capable of designing glide kits and propulsion systems.
“Moreover, a school of specialists and engineers has emerged who know how to create gliding systems. They know how to make them with engines,” he said.
⚡️ BREAKING: Ukraine ready to deploy first domestic guided aerial bomb.
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Engineers developed the unique 250-kilogram munition over 17 months to strike enemy fortifications dozens of kilometers deep, with pilots currently practicing combat scenarios.
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Some Ukrainian bombs are no longer limited to gliding after release. New variants carry turbojet engines intended to extend their strike range.
“We already have systems that use more than just gliding. They now carry turbojet engines to increase their employment range to between 100 and 200 kilometers,” Lebedenko said.
He confirmed that Ukraine already has aircraft capable of launching the weapons and is continuing to improve those platforms. The next challenge is expanding production capacity.
Ukraine’s military is also prioritizing accuracy rather than focusing solely on the number of bombs produced.
“We are looking toward precision so that we can effectively destroy enemy command posts, drone control centers, infrastructure, and other targets,” Lebedenko said.
The announcement follows reports in May that a participant in Ukraine’s Brave1 defense innovation platform had developed the country’s first domestically designed guided aerial bomb after 17 months of work. The weapon is intended to strike fortified positions, command centers, and other military targets.
Available details indicate that the bomb carries a 250-kilogram warhead and is capable of engaging targets dozens of kilometers from the launch point. Developers have described it as a completely original Ukrainian design rather than an adaptation of an existing foreign system.
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