Ukrainian forces successfully intercepted a Russian guided aerial bomb near the frontline city of Zaporizhzhia on February 7, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat confirmed to Interfax-Ukraine.
Guided aerial bombs (KABs) are less expensive than missiles and have a shorter range. They are typically launched from Russian or Russian-occupied territories, staying beyond the effective reach of Ukrainian air defenses. These weapons, with their heavy iron casings, descend at high speeds from high altitudes, making them particularly difficult to intercept, unlike cruise missiles or drones.
According to Ihnat, this is not the first time Ukraine has managed to down a guided bomb. However, he emphasized that countering the threat requires a multi-layered approach.
“To counter this threat, we need an integrated approach, both the use of ground-based air defense and aviation components in order to drive away the carriers of these missiles as far as possible,” Ihnat said, though he did not disclose how the bomb was intercepted.
His statement follows reports from Telegram channels suggesting that Ukrainian soldiers downed the bomb on the morning of February 7, possibly using experimental weaponry.
Russia continues to target Ukrainian frontline settlements with guided bombs. Over the past week alone, Russian forces launched 760 such bombs, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported.
According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Russian glide bomb attacks killed 360 Ukrainian civilians and injured 1,861 in 2024—a threefold increase in fatalities and a sixfold increase in injuries compared to 2023.
On February 3, Ukraine became the first country to use 1,000-pound (454 kg) Mark 83 bombs modified with JDAM-ER (Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range) kits.
