Russia’s latest UMPD-5R aerial bomb, equipped with a guidance and correction module and a jet engine, could be used to strike targets deep behind Ukrainian lines. Military expert and air defense historian Yuri Knutov told NEWS.ru that potential targets include command posts, air defense positions, concentrations of personnel and bridges.

Knutov said the new weapon could give Russian forces a heavier strike option against such facilities. He noted that Russian stockpiles still contain large numbers of older 500-kilogram aerial bombs. Using them in the traditional way would expose aircraft to enemy air defenses, while the new module effectively turns these bombs into rocket-powered precision weapons.

According to the expert, a 500-kilogram bomb of this type carries greater destructive power than munitions used by the Iskander system. Its increased range would also allow aircraft to launch it without approaching the immediate engagement zone of Ukrainian air defenses.

Military expert Alexey Leonkov, in turn, said Russian designers had for the first time combined a high-range UMPK-equipped high-explosive aerial bomb with a jet engine. The engine gives the UMPD-5R additional acceleration and extends its flight range. The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on these reports.

Leonkov described such upgrades to FAB bombs as a necessary step because much of the enemy’s military infrastructure has been moved farther from the front line. This includes warehouses, headquarters, repair facilities and other rear-area targets.

He added that Geran drones are currently used to strike such sites, but their warheads weigh between 50 and 150 kilograms. A precision-guided 500-kilogram bomb, he stressed, offers far greater destructive capability against these targets.

Earlier, aerial bombs fitted with UMPK modules were used against Ukrainian military bases near Kherson. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the struck facilities were located on Karantinny Island.