The dropping of glide bombs by the Russian army onto the territory of Russia and temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine indicates persistent errors in Russia’s ability to successfully deploy munitions against intended targets.
This was reported by the UK Ministry of Defence via the social network X.
Intelligence experts, referencing the Russian independent media outlet Astra, note that since the beginning of this year Russian forces have dropped 25 glide bombs on Russian territory and on temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine. In 2025 there were 143 such incidents, and in 2024 there were 165.
It is also noted that on May 16 Russia accidentally dropped a glide bomb on the house of a resident of the village of Dubove in the Belgorod region, killing one person.
Currently, the Russian Air Force conducts more than 200 combat sorties per day against Ukraine, launching on average 180 to 250 glide munitions daily, depending on weather conditions.
UK intelligence emphasized that these incidents reflect ongoing failures in Russia’s ability to successfully use its munitions against designated targets. Such mistakes have destructive and lethal consequences for the Russian population, the report said.
It is also noted that such incidents are likely caused by a combination of improper aircraft arming procedures before flights and inadequate execution of missions by crews.
Intelligence officials suggest that the frequency of glide bomb drop incidents demonstrates a certain level of fatigue among Russian air and ground crews, as well as insufficient military training.
