Russia Uses Guided Aerial Bombs on Odesa Region for First Time, Marking Major Escalation

Odesa’s regional administration says Russia used guided aerial bombs (KAB) against civilian infrastructure in the Odesa region for the first time on October 24, during a daytime air raid.

“During today’s air attack, the Russian army used guided aerial bombs against civilian infrastructure in our region for the first time. This is a new serious threat to Odesa region,” regional chief Oleh Kiper said, urging residents to heed air-raid alerts: “Please, do not ignore air-raid sirens. Your life is the most valuable. And believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” 

Initial monitoring indicated several munitions were launched toward the coastline area stretching from Pivdennyi to Chornomorsk and in the direction of Ochakiv, with at least four KABs reported by open-source trackers during the alert. 

Local reporting also cited claims from a regional monitoring channel that two of the weapons may have been long-range UMPB-5-type glide bombs—an assessment not officially confirmed by the military at the time of publication. 

Ukrainian outlets amplified Kiper’s warning, noting that while Odesa has repeatedly faced missile and drone strikes since 2022, the use of KABs against civilian targets in the region marks an escalation in Russia’s air campaign. “Such strikes pose a colossal danger to people and can cause significant destruction,” Kiper said. 

Earlier, it was reported that Russian forces began using a modernized UMPB-5R glide munition reportedly fitted with a small Chinese turbojet, extending its standoff range and enabling strikes into regions such as Poltava and Kharkiv.

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