Russia's New Deadly Glide Bomb Revealed
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Russia has introduced a new guided glide bomb into its full-scale invasion, which marks Moscow's push to develop aerial weapons to bombard Ukraine's infrastructure.
Ukrainian authorities said that Russia's new UMPB-5 guided aerial bombs had been dropped by Sukhoi Su-34 fighter jets on two regions in the last two months amid testing of the new weapon.
Analysis shared with Newsweek by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a Washington, D.C., think tank, said that the glide bomb was part of Russia's growing efforts to develop cheap standoff guided munitions.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry via email for comment.
File photo: Ukrainian rescue workers survey the rubble of a residential building hit during a Russian overnight drone and missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 23, 2025.
File photo: Ukrainian rescue workers survey the rubble of a residential building hit during a Russian overnight drone and missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 23, 2025.Why It Matters
Before Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow underestimated how many glide bombs and other guided munitions it would need. Russia's glide bombs before the war were relatively expensive and so used sparingly.
The FDD's John Hardie said Russia's failure to destroy most of Ukraine's air defenses at the invasion's start pushed Moscow to swiftly develop cheap glide bombs with standoff range that will allow its air force to play a greater role.
What To Know
Ukrainian authorities said the UMPB-5 was first used in Ukraine's Sumy region and then on two consecutive days of strikes on the city of Kharkiv on July 24 and 25; one attack hit a hospital.
In the second instance, a Su-34 released the bomb about 65 miles away from Russia's neighboring Belgorod region; this is according to Spartak Borysenko from the Kharkiv Prosecutor's Office, which investigates such attacks as war crimes.
Borysenko said Russia is still testing the weapon and that its exact characteristics are not yet known. But the name of the UMPB-5 glide bomb suggests it is a derivative of the UMPB D-30SN, which was first seen in spring 2024, the FDD said.
The latter model has a longer range than the 50 miles of its predecessor and has warhead that weighs 2.5 times more, at around 550 pounds.
Cheap glide bombs are playing a greater role in Russia's aggression with Moscow; an average of 160 were dropped each day in July 2025, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky—eight times more than spring 2023.
The main one used is the UMPK, or "Universal Gliding and Correction Module," first seen in January 2023. It is designed to fit on dumb bombs and was initially employed with the FAB-500 M-62, a 1,100-pound-class high-explosive bomb, but since adapted for bombs of various sizes.
Borysenko said that Moscow started using a modified UMPK with larger wings and a range of at least 60 miles in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions in May. With further testing, this range could increase, as suggested by a Russian Telegram channel.
Russia is also developing low-cost air-launched cruise missiles, such as the recently unveiled S8000 BanderoL, which can be launched via remotely piloted aircraft.
What People Are Saying
John Hardie, deputy director of FDD's Russia Program, said Moscow is using a new UMPB-5 guided glide bomb, which: "appears to be a more-powerful derivative of a bomb introduced last year, reflecting the Russian Air Force's efforts to develop a growing variety of cheap standoff guided munitions."
Spartak Borysenko, from the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office, said: "UMPB-5 is a new ammunition that the Russians began using about two months ago … they are currently testing it, and the exact characteristics are not known for certain."
What Happens Next
Hardie said that details about these new munitions remain scarce, but Russia's Air Force and Naval Aviation are focused on producing large quantities of inexpensive standoff munitions.
Whether Russia will address its shortcomings in destroying enemy air defenses is a problem "that will be much harder to solve," Hardie added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
15 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Modi and Trump once called each other good friends. Now the US-India relationship is getting bumpy
NEW DELHI (AP) — The men shared bear hugs, showered praise on each other and made appearances side by side at stadium rallies — a big optics boost for two populist leaders with ideological similarities. Each called the other a good friend. In India, the bonhomie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump was seen as a relationship like no other. That is, until a series of events gummed up the works. From Trump's tariffs and India's purchase of oil from Russia to a U.S. tilt towards Pakistan, friction between New Delhi and Washington has been hard to miss. And much of it has happened far from the corridors of power and, unsurprisingly, through Trump's posts on social media. It has left policy experts wondering whether the camaraderie the two leaders shared may be a thing of the past, even though Trump has stopped short of referring to Modi directly on social media. The dip in rapport, some say, puts a strategic bilateral relationship built over decades at risk. 'This is a testing time for the relationship,' said Ashok Malik, a former policy adviser in India's Foreign Ministry. Simmering tensions over trade and tariffs The latest hiccup between India and the U.S. emerged last week when Trump announced that he was slapping 25% tariffs on India as well as an unspecified penalty because of India's purchasing of Russian oil. For New Delhi, such a move from its largest trading partner is expected to be felt across sectors, but it also led to a sense of unease in India — even more so when Trump, on social media, called India's economy 'dead.' Trump's recent statements reflect his frustration with the pace of trade talks with India, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal administration thinking. The Republican president has not been pursuing any strategic realignment with Pakistan, according to the official, but is instead trying to play hardball in negotiations. Trump doubled down on the pressure Monday with a fresh post on Truth Social, in which he accused India of buying 'massive amounts' of oil from Russia and then 'selling it on the Open Market for big profits.' 'They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,' he said. The messaging appears to have stung Modi's administration, which has been hard-selling negotiations with Trump's team over a trade deal by balancing between India's protectionist system while also opening up the country's market to more American goods. Many expected India to react strongly considering Modi's carefully crafted reputation of strength. Instead, the announcement prompted a rather careful response from India's commerce minister, Piyush Goyal, who said the two countries are working towards a 'fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement.' India's Foreign Ministry also played down suggestions of any strain. However, experts in New Delhi wonder. 'Strenuous, uninterrupted and bipartisan efforts in both capitals over the past 25 years are being put at risk by not just the tariffs but by fast and loose statements and social media posts,' said Malik, who now heads the India chapter of The Asia Group, a U.S. advisory firm . Malik also said the trade deal the Indian side has offered to the U.S. is the 'most expansive in this country's history,' referring to reports that India was willing to open up to some American agricultural products. That is a politically sensitive issue for Modi, who faced a yearlong farmers' protest a few years ago. Trump appears to be tilting towards Pakistan The unraveling may have gained momentum over tariffs, but the tensions have been palpable for a while. Much of it has to do with Trump growing closer to Pakistan, India's nuclear rival in the neighborhood. In May, India and Pakistan traded a series of military strikes over a gun massacre in disputed Kashmir that New Delhi blamed Islamabad for. Pakistan denied the accusations. The four-day conflict made the possibility of a nuclear conflagration between the two sides seem real and the fighting only stopped when global powers intervened. But it was Trump's claims of mediation and an offer to work to provide a 'solution' regarding the dispute over Kashmir that made Modi's administration uneasy. Since then, Trump has repeated nearly two dozen times that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan. For Modi, that is a risky — even nervy — territory. Domestically, he has positioned himself as a leader who is tough on Pakistan. Internationally, he has made huge diplomatic efforts to isolate the country. So Trump's claims cut a deep wound, prompting a sense in India that the U.S. may no longer be its strategic partner. India insists that Kashmir is India's internal issue and had opposed any third-party intervention. Last week Modi appeared to dismiss Trump's claims after India's Opposition began demanding answers from him. Modi said that 'no country in the world stopped' the fighting between India and Pakistan, but he did not name Trump. Trump has also appeared to be warming up to Pakistan, even praising its counterterrorism efforts. Hours after levying tariffs on India, Trump announced a 'massive' oil exploration deal with Pakistan, saying that some day, India might have to buy oil from Islamabad. Earlier, he also hosted one of Pakistan's top military officials at a private lunch. Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, an expert at New Delhi's Jindal School of International Affairs, said Trump's sudden admiration for Pakistan as a great partner in counterterrorism has 'definitely soured' the mood in India. Chaulia said 'the best-case scenario is that this is just a passing Trump whim,' but he also warned that 'if financial and energy deals are indeed being struck between the U.S. and Pakistan, it will dent the U.S.-India strategic partnership and lead to loss of confidence in the U.S. in Indian eyes.' India's oil purchases from Russia are an irritant The strain in relations has also to do with oil. India had faced strong pressure from the Biden administration to cut back its oil purchases from Moscow during the early months of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Instead, India bought more, making it the second-biggest buyer of Russian oil after China. That pressure sputtered over time and the U.S. focused more on building strategic ties with India, which is seen as a bulwark against a rising China. Trump's threat to penalize India over oil, however, brought back those issues. On Sunday, the Trump administration made its frustrations over ties between India and Russia ever more public. Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House, accused India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow, saying it was 'not acceptable.'
Boston Globe
15 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Modi and Trump once called each other good friends. Now the US-India relationship is getting bumpy.
From Trump's tariffs and India's purchase of oil from Russia to a U.S. tilt towards Pakistan, friction between New Delhi and Washington has been hard to miss. And much of it has happened far from the corridors of power and, unsurprisingly, through Trump's posts on social media. Advertisement It has left policy experts wondering whether the camaraderie the two leaders shared may be a thing of the past, even though Trump has stopped short of referring to Modi directly on social media. The dip in rapport, some say, puts a strategic bilateral relationship built over decades at risk. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'This is a testing time for the relationship,' said Ashok Malik, a former policy adviser in India's Foreign Ministry. The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Simmering tensions over trade and tariffs The latest hiccup between India and the U.S. emerged last week when Trump announced that he was slapping 25% tariffs on India as well as an unspecified penalty because of India's purchasing of Russian oil. For New Delhi, such a move from its largest trading partner is expected to be felt across sectors, but it also led to a sense of unease in India — even more so when Trump, on social media, called India's economy 'dead.' Advertisement Trump's recent statements reflect his frustration with the pace of trade talks with India, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal administration thinking. The Republican president has not been pursuing any strategic realignment with Pakistan, according to the official, but is instead trying to play hardball in negotiations. Trump doubled down on the pressure Monday with a fresh post on Truth Social, in which he accused India of buying 'massive amounts' of oil from Russia and then 'selling it on the Open Market for big profits.' 'They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,' he said. The messaging appears to have stung Modi's administration, which has been hard-selling negotiations with Trump's team over a trade deal by balancing between India's protectionist system while also opening up the country's market to more American goods. Many expected India to react strongly considering Modi's carefully crafted reputation of strength. Instead, the announcement prompted a rather careful response from India's commerce minister, Piyush Goyal, who said the two countries are working towards a 'fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement.' India's Foreign Ministry also played down suggestions of any strain. However, experts in New Delhi wonder. 'Strenuous, uninterrupted and bipartisan efforts in both capitals over the past 25 years are being put at risk by not just the tariffs but by fast and loose statements and social media posts,' said Malik, who now heads the India chapter of The Asia Group, a U.S. advisory firm . Advertisement Malik also said the trade deal the Indian side has offered to the U.S. is the 'most expansive in this country's history,' referring to reports that India was willing to open up to some American agricultural products. That is a politically sensitive issue for Modi, who faced a yearlong farmers' protest a few years ago. Trump appears to be tilting towards Pakistan The unraveling may have gained momentum over tariffs, but the tensions have been palpable for a while. Much of it has to do with Trump growing closer to Pakistan, India's nuclear rival in the neighborhood. In May, India and Pakistan traded a series of military strikes over a gun massacre in disputed Kashmir that New Delhi blamed Islamabad for. Pakistan denied the accusations. The four-day conflict made the possibility of a nuclear conflagration between the two sides seem real and the fighting only stopped when global powers intervened. But it was Trump's claims of mediation and an offer to work to provide a 'solution' regarding the dispute over Kashmir that made Modi's administration uneasy. Since then, Trump has repeated nearly two dozen times that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan. For Modi, that is a risky — even nervy — territory. Domestically, he has positioned himself as a leader who is tough on Pakistan. Internationally, he has made huge diplomatic efforts to isolate the country. So Trump's claims cut a deep wound, prompting a sense in India that the U.S. may no longer be its strategic partner. India insists that Kashmir is India's internal issue and had opposed any third-party intervention. Last week Modi appeared to dismiss Trump's claims after India's Opposition began demanding answers from him. Modi said that 'no country in the world stopped' the fighting between India and Pakistan, but he did not name Trump. Advertisement Trump has also appeared to be warming up to Pakistan, even praising its counterterrorism efforts. Hours after levying tariffs on India, Trump announced a 'massive' oil exploration deal with Pakistan, saying that some day, India might have to buy oil from Islamabad. Earlier, he also hosted one of Pakistan's top military officials at a private lunch. Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, an expert at New Delhi's Jindal School of International Affairs, said Trump's sudden admiration for Pakistan as a great partner in counterterrorism has 'definitely soured' the mood in India. Chaulia said 'the best-case scenario is that this is just a passing Trump whim,' but he also warned that 'if financial and energy deals are indeed being struck between the U.S. and Pakistan, it will dent the U.S.-India strategic partnership and lead to loss of confidence in the U.S. in Indian eyes.' India's oil purchases from Russia are an irritant The strain in relations has also to do with oil. India had faced strong pressure from the Biden administration to cut back its oil purchases from Moscow during the early months of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Instead, India bought more, making it the second-biggest buyer of Russian oil after China. That pressure sputtered over time and the U.S. focused more on building strategic ties with India, which is seen as a bulwark against a rising China. Trump's threat to penalize India over oil, however, brought back those issues. On Sunday, the Trump administration made its frustrations over ties between India and Russia ever more public. Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House, accused India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow, saying it was 'not acceptable.' Advertisement Some experts, though, suspect Trump's remarks are mere pressure tactics. 'Given the wild fluctuations in Trump's policies,' Chaulia said, 'it may return to high fives and hugs again.' Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed reporting.
Newsweek
16 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump's Approval Rating Takes a Dive in New Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's approval rating has dropped 6 points since April, a new poll by the University of Massachusetts Amherst shows. Why It Matters Trump has routinely touted positive approval ratings and polling. Declines in these numbers could hinder his political clout in an already highly polarized climate as the 2026 midterms approach. When Trump returned to the White House in January, he coasted in with high approval figures. But after months marked by economic uncertainty and criticism that his administration has faced over policies like his handling of immigration and his recent tax bill, Trump has seen a dip. The up-and-down nature of approval polls can paint a picture of the landscape heading into the 2026 elections, where Democrats hope to regain control of the House and the Senate. What To Know In the poll released over the weekend, Trump has a 38 percent approval rating versus a 58 percent disapproval rating. The poll was taken from July 25 to July 30 among 1,000 people with a 3.5 percent margin of error. A poll by the University of Massachusetts Amherst in April showed the president with an approval rating of 44 percent and a disapproval rating of 51 percent. Trump also landed lower numbers on key policy issues, including immigration and civil rights, in the latest poll. The president had slightly lower numbers on jobs and inflation, but within the margin of error. A recent Gallup poll also showed Trump had a 37 percent approval rating, the lowest of his second term and approaching his 34 percent rating just before leaving office at the end of his first term in January 2025, following the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on August 3, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on August 3, People Are Saying Robert Y. Shapiro, a professor of political science at Columbia University, told Newsweek: "This is not a stunning drop and reflect that Trump has been facing more bad news than good news concerning inflation, ICE's going after undocumented immigrants who have not committed crimes and are holding jobs and have been stable members of their communities, the anticipated further inflation stemming from tariffs, and the parts of his 'big, beautiful, bill' that involves pending cuts in Medicaid and food assistance, while lowering taxes that benefit the wealthy most." Shapiro added that, "The continuation of the Epstein scandal just adds to this, and could even affect support of a small portion of Trump's base." UMass Amherst on X on Monday: "A new UMass Amherst Poll finds President Trump's net job approval has dropped to -20 six months into his term, while his approval rating on immigration has fallen 9 points since April." Fox News host Jessica Tarlov on X on Monday: "Donald Trump's approval rating on inflation in the latest Fox News poll is 36%. Tariffs are driving up costs and the American people are angry. There's no sugar coating that, no matter how some may try." President Donald Trump on Truth Social over the weekend: "THE DEMOCRATS ARE EXTORTIONISTS WHO ALMOST DESTROYED OUR COUNTRY. NOW WE ARE BACK, AND THE USA IS THE 'HOTTEST' COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!" What Happens Next The impact of these consistently low approval ratings will be closely watched as the nation enters the 2026 midterm election cycle. With broad disapproval of policies on the economy, immigration, and living costs, Democrats may see a possible opening, but have yet to translate this into a decisive lead as the party regroups after the 2024 election loss. The coming months may determine whether Trump's approval ratings rebound or continue to signal difficulties for Republicans heading into what is expected to be a highly competitive set of midterm elections.
