Mass use of guided bombs driving Russian advances, says Ukraine

According to a Ukrainian government report obtained by the Guardian, such weapons fired from afar by aircraft “played a key role in the destruction of [the eastern city of] Avdiivka and the seizure of its ruins by Russia”.

The freefalling Soviet design bombs used by the Russian military are being easily transformed into guided ones by adding a UMPC “planning and correction module”, cheap wings and satellite navigation systems.

A recent paper from the International Institute for Strategic Studies warned: “Russia is using glide bombs, along with direct-attack munitions, in volume to overwhelm Ukrainian air defence.”

On Tuesday, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, while on a two-day visit to Beijing, increased that anxiety by claiming that the two countries had agreed to discuss ways to deepen their security cooperation.

The US treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, also warned during a parallel trip to China that there would be “significant consequences” for any Chinese companies supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The bombs – ranging from the 250kg FAB-250 to the 1,500kg FAB-1500s – on which the guidance systems are often attached, are high explosive and have a “relatively robust casing for penetrating soil or obstacles such as interfloor floors of buildings and structures”, according to the Ukrainian report.