Russia launches up to 20 guided aircraft bombs daily against Ukraine, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said on April 4.
While speaking on national television, Ihnat explained that these bombs could travel a distance of nearly 70 kilometers.
Russia is deploying them along the front line and other positions in Ukraine with Sukhoi Su-34 and Su-35 fighter jets that are beyond the reach of Ukraine's air defense, Ihnat said.
"This poses a threat to us, and it is imperative that we respond to it urgently," he added.
Ihnat said that guided aircraft bombs do not have very efficient navigation, thereby posing a significant threat to civilian infrastructure and populations.
On March 24, Russia utilized these bombs as part of a multi-weapon attack on the city of Bilopillia, located in northeastern Sumy Oblast, which resulted in two fatalities and nine injuries.
According to Ihnat, Ukraine needs modern multi-purpose fighter jets and long-range air defense systems to effectively combat this threat.
Ukraine has received Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets from Poland and Slovakia, but as Ihnat said on March 29, they were "not enough" to defend Ukrainian territory on air, land, and sea.
Critics say that allies' reluctance to supply F-16 fighters and long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine will prevent Kyiv from launching a major counteroffensive and liberating Ukrainian territory. Ukraine's lack of advanced aircraft and missiles is also likely to prolong Russia's war of aggression and result in thousands of deaths, many argue.
The Kyiv Independent
(Updated: )
