(Dan Tri) – Gliding bomb attacks are optimizing the power of the Russian air force against a Ukraine that is having difficulty calling for aid.

Russian Su-34 bombers (Photo: Reuters).

The Russian military took full advantage of glide bombs in air strikes on Ukraine’s defense system while still being able to preserve its fighter squadron.

Military experts comment that this is the strong adaptability in Russian combat tactics, helping them continuously achieve progress on the battlefield in recent times.

Ukraine is struggling to deal with this new threat, and the reason is partly due to their lack of air defense missile systems.

Gliding bombs allow Moscow to attack fortified positions from a greater distance than artillery, and the navigation system helps this weapon avoid Kiev’s surface-to-air missile defenses.

Last week, a group of analysts at the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said: `Russia has significantly increased its glide bomb attacks targeting both the front and rear of the Ukrainian front lines,

During the first two years of the war, advanced air defense systems on both sides kept Ukraine’s airspace in a constant state of tension.

George Barros, head of the geospatial intelligence team and Russia analyst at ISW, said Moscow is better understanding the fastest time and method of attack to exhaust Kiev’s air defense resources.

`As Ukraine’s air defense bandwidth dwindles, they are forced to use fighter jets to counter glide bomb attacks. If Ukraine had a better air defense system, they could limit the waste of air strikes.`

`Glide bombs are only capable of hitting fixed targets, which means they will exert their maximum power in areas of long-term conflict, for example in Avdiivka, where Ukrainian positions are relatively

This is also the reason why Moscow sought to surround the Kiev army in the Avdiivka area and gain control of this stronghold.

To help minimize the threat from glide bombs, experts recommend that Ukraine needs to increase its call for aid for air defense interceptors, along with replenishing artillery ammunition stocks, from Western allied countries.

Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Ivan Gavrylyuk said on March 18 that Russia dropped more than 3,500 bombs on Ukraine in nearly the first 3 months of 2024. Despite the frequency of heavy bombing, Moscow’s arsenal still seems to be intact.

Last week, the Russian Ministry of Defense said the country is increasing its progress in producing ammunition, many of which can be improved into glide bombs.

Many Russian glide bombs were dropped at a distance of nearly 50km, making it difficult for Ukraine to defend, even when using all of its weapons except the US-made MIM-104 Patriot air defense system.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly spoken out about Kiev’s existing air defense arsenal being insufficient to protect the country from ceaseless bombardment.

According to experts, Russia will not be able to decide the war with glide bombs alone, but they also have a huge advantage in artillery.

All of these factors appear to be making the outlook on the battlefield increasingly less optimistic for Kiev.

`If the US does not approve additional aid, it will be difficult for Ukraine to avoid the risk of losing more territory, especially when Russia may launch a major attack in the summer,` expert Bronk warned.

Britain’s Economist newspaper predicted on March 28 that Russia could launch a large-scale attack this summer after a period of fighting intensity limited by muddy terrain in the spring.