Ukraine has released the first images of the new weapon.Image: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
Russian glide bombs are a scourge in the war of aggression against Ukraine, causing countless deaths. Now Kyiv is reporting a spectacular in-house development.
May 21, 2026, 3:00 p.mMay 21, 2026, 3:00 p.m
Silent and deadly: Russian glide bombs are among the most feared offensive weapons in Putin’s brutal air war.
But now Kyiv is following suit with its own development, according to Ukrainian media celebrate as a “big deal”.: As Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov announced at the beginning of the week, Ukraine has successfully tested a precision glide bomb developed in its own country for the first time and released it for combat use.
At the same time, the USA approved the sale of around 1,500 of its own glide bomb systems worth almost $374 million. There are many indications of a new phase in the air war.
The new Ukrainian bomb is said to be called “Vyrivniuvach” (“balancer”). According to Fedorov, it can hit enemy targets “dozens of kilometers” behind the front with a 250-kilogram warhead. The weapon was developed within 17 months by the state-supported innovation platform Brave-1.
Minister of Defense of Ukraine Mikhail FedorovImage: keystone
According to the US analysis center Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the bomb should allow Ukraine to significantly increase its air strikes against Russian supply routes, command posts and fortified targets to expand.
Cheap to produce and with enormous destructive power
The war in Ukraine has made glide bombs a key weapon. The relatively cheap weapons can be dropped beyond the range of most anti-aircraft systems and have enormous destructive power.
Since they are only noticed seconds before impact, they are practically impossible to combat. Military experts attribute the fall of Avdiivka in spring 2024 to their use, as Russian glide bombs mercilessly destroyed Ukrainian defensive positions. Recently, the urban populations of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia have particularly suffered from constant attacks with explosive devices weighing up to 3,000 kilograms.
Kyiv is now turning the tables. The ISW expects that the new bomb will primarily target Russian logistics centers and bunkers in the rear of the front. To date, Ukraine has primarily attacked such targets with drones. However, the new glide bomb offers significantly greater explosive power and can therefore also break through bunkers and heavily fortified positions.
According to “Business Insider” The Ukrainian bomb costs only about a third of an American JDAM glide bomb. As with the Russian model, retrofit kits transform ordinary US free-fall bombs into precision-guided glide weapons. Typically these cost $20,000 to $30,000 each.
However, Defense Minister Fedorov emphasizes that the “balancer” was not copied from Western or Russian models, but was completely redeveloped. A video distributed by the Ministry of Defense shows a drop by a Ukrainian SU-24 fighter jet.
The first Ukrainian glide bomb from @BRAVE1ua is ready for combat deployment. Development took 17 months. The warhead weighs 250 kg. The Ukrainian glide bomb features a unique design created specifically for the realities of modern warfare.
Pilots are currently rehearsing… pic.twitter.com/Zb4TvBquUF
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 18, 2026
As the US military portal The War Zone reports, The weapon will later also be able to be used by Western F-16 and Mirage 2000 aircraft. In return, Russia will do everything in its power to further decimate Ukraine’s limited fighter jet fleet in order to nip the new threat in the bud.
Mass production of its own glide bombs offers another decisive advantage for Ukraine. Unlike Western precision weapons with a long range, the self-developed systems are not subject to any political restrictions on their use. Kiev could therefore also use such weapons against targets deep in Russia, provided Ukrainian fighter jets get them close enough.
For the Ukrainian Air Force, the new bomb is therefore much more than just additional ammunition. It is a symbol of Ukraine’s attempt to free itself from dependence on Western arms supplies – to respond to Russia’s air war with the same fearsome means. (aargauerzeitung.ch)