Russia said on Tuesday that its military intercepted a Ukrainian ground-launched small-diameter bomb provided by the United States, signaling that Ukraine's forces are now using the sought-after weapon.
The Russian Ministry of Defense in a daily operational update Tuesday wrote that troops shot down a GLSDB guided missile, as well as 18 High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). Russia's report indicates that Ukraine has received and been trained on how to use the powerful bombs, which they long requested despite concerns that these weapons could cross Russian President Vladimir Putin's red line.
GLSDB are precision bombs that have been seen as a powerful development for Ukrainian troops, who have worked to prevent Russia from making gains in key areas in the eastern region of Donetsk, including Bakhmut. Notably, these bombs are capable of hitting targets as far as 150 kilometers (95 miles) away, thus expanding Ukraine's ability to strike behind Russia's lines. They are also capable of being fitted to rockets that have already been part of Ukraine's arsenal.
The range of these bombs is larger than that of the HIMARS previously provided to Ukraine by the U.S. government, which helped its military turn the tide of the war in its favor last year. The United States announced plans to provide Ukraine with the bombs in February.
Wes Rumbaugh, an associate fellow in the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Newsweek on Tuesday that the GLSDB is a cost-effective way for the United States "to provide a mass of stand-off capability to Ukraine."
"This extended range allows Ukrainian troops to target a wider range of Russian targets, including those farther behind the main lines of battle, giving them more options to disrupt Russian operations," he said.
Rumbaugh said it is not surprising that Russia was able to down one of these bombs and that Ukraine will "likely need to use mass to overcome Russian air defenses or suppress those defenses in some way to get the most out of GLSDB capabilities."
He noted that Ukraine had a "relatively quick turnaround" on using the GLSDB, as it would take some "investment and time" to prepare Ukrainian forces to properly use them. He said the interception signals that this is one of the earlier uses of the weapon in Ukraine.
Russia condemned U.S. providing Ukraine GLSDB
Early reporting that the United States could be considering providing these bombs to Ukraine drew condemnation from Russian authorities, who warned that doing so could lead to an escalation of the conflict. The Kremlin has long criticized the West for providing large amounts of weaponry to Ukraine, which has bolstered their defense efforts.
"Potentially, this is extremely dangerous, it will mean bringing the conflict to a whole new level, which, of course, will not bode well from the point of view of global and pan-European security," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in January.
GLSDB were developed by SAAB in partnership with Boeing. SAAB describes the bombs as "exceptionally flexible, highly effective and accurate over long distances."
Experts have previously noted the significance of these weapons in Ukraine.
Retired U.S. Lieutenant General Ben Hodges said in January that the bombs will "reduce sanctuary for Russians."
"Life is about to start getting very uncomfortable for the Russian navy, airforce and ammunition handlers on Crimea, along the 'land bridge'...and hopefully soon for repair crews on Kerch Bridge," he tweeted.
Newsweek reached out to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and weapons analysts via email for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
