Ukraine develops guided aerial bombs with turbojet engines

Brigadier General Andrii Lebedenko, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, has briefed journalists on Ukraine's domestic development of guided aerial bombs, including models equipped with turbojet engines.

Source: Andrii Lebedenko at a briefing

Details: Unlike conventional bombs, guided aerial bombs are designed to be released from aircraft at long range, beyond the reach of enemy air defences. A correction and glide module is fitted to the bomb itself, guiding it to the target. Some models are also fitted with an engine which can increase their range.

Quote: "The task of developing domestic guided aerial bombs was set in 2024. Ukraine now has seven manufacturers. An entire school of specialists has grown up, and they now know how to make glide modules, including some with turbojet engines which can increase the range by 100-200 km."

More details: Lebedenko reported that there are enough platforms for launching guided aerial bombs and that they are constantly being improved. This means Ukraine will be able to launch more of them if manufacturers can scale up production capacity.

Quote: "Since the beginning of the war, we have received aerial bombs from our partners, but the quantity pales in comparison with the number of guided aerial bombs used by the enemy. Last year, the Russians used more than 60,000 such bombs."

More details: In response to a question from Ukrainska Pravda, Lebedenko added: "That is why we need to develop our own manufacturers to increase output. The launch platforms exist and are being improved. But we are also focusing on accuracy, because it's difficult to compete with Russia in terms of resources and the scale of launches."

For reference: The Vyrivniuvach is equipped with a 250kg warhead. The munition can fly from 10 to more than 130 km. The bomb is 2.7 m long and has a wingspan of 2.4 m.

The bomb is compatible with Ukrainian aircraft and weapon systems. Furthermore, it can be deployed from F-16 and Mirage fighter jets following additional certification. These aircraft can launch the Vyrivniuvach from altitudes ranging from 500 to over 10,000 m.

Background: It was reported earlier that in May 2026, former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced that a member of Brave1 had created the first Ukrainian guided aerial bomb, which had passed the necessary tests and was ready for combat use. In June 2026, the Vyrivniuvach was unveiled at the Eurosatory-2026 international exhibition in Paris.

Subscribe on Patreon to back our journalism long-term.