Russia's Glide Bombs Devastate Eastern Ukraine: Cities Under Siege

Russia's relentless glide bomb attacks devastate Kharkiv and other eastern Ukrainian cities, aiming to force residents to flee.

On May 25, Kharkiv's Epicenter shopping complex was reduced to ashes by Russian glide bombs. The first bomb shattered aisles stacked with home improvement products, followed seconds later by another that unleashed flames, turning the megastore into an ashen shell. A third bomb, which failed to detonate, landed behind the shopping complex. Investigators hope to trace the supply chain of these Soviet-era bombs, retrofitted with imported electronics for precise targeting by distant Russian warplanes.

Cities like Avdiivka, Chasiv Yar, and Vovchansk have also faced the destructive power of these bombs. With a nearly unlimited supply, Russia launches these bombs from airfields just across the border, airfields that Ukraine has been unable to strike.

Store manager Oleksandr Lutsenko believes Russia's aim is to turn Kharkiv into a ghost city, scaring people into leaving. "They want to scare people, but they will not succeed," Lutsenko said.

According to the Associated Press, Russia has intensified its bombing of Ukraine's front-line cities in 2024 using glide bombs and new airstrips. Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Vovchansk, and Chasiv Yar have all been devastated in increasingly shorter periods.

Ukraine has been hit more than 50 times this year by glide bombs, according to Spartak Borysenko from the Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office. At least one of these bombs contained foreign electronics and was manufactured in May, suggesting that Russia is circumventing sanctions on dual-use items.

Photos from Russian Telegram channels linked to the military show multiple glide bombs being launched simultaneously. One such photo traced to Belgorod shows four bombs headed towards Vovchansk and Kharkiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia launched more than 3,200 bombs in May alone.

Oleh Katkov from Defense Express emphasized the importance of hitting Russian air bases to reduce the frequency of these bombings. However, Western-supplied weapons have restrictions on targeting Russian territory, limiting Ukraine's ability to strike back effectively.

Russia's new airfield near Belgorod, still under construction, adds to the threat. Ukrainian intelligence has been closely monitoring its progress, which began in late summer 2023. Belarus also provides sanctuary for Russian bombers, with multiple airfields just across the border from Ukraine.

Russia's aerial advantage is significant, launching up to 100 guided bombs daily, which, along with missiles and drones, cause immense destruction. These glide bombs, retrofitted from Soviet-era unguided bombs, carry 500 to 3,000 kilograms of explosives and cost around $20,000 each. They can be launched from up to 65 kilometers away, beyond the reach of Ukraine's air defenses.

The goal appears to be terrorizing cities enough to force residents to flee, according to Nico Lange from the Center for European Policy Analysis.

At the Epicenter store, surveillance footage captured the moment of the attack. Salesperson Nina Korsunova survived by curling into a fetal position as the store around her was destroyed. Despite her injuries, she remains determined to stay in Kharkiv.

"It didn't break me," Korsunova said. "I will remain in Kharkiv. This is my home."