German and Japanese machinery powers Russian bomb production
KAB bombs, a combination of old FAB bombs and UMPK modules, are a crucial weapon type enabling Russians to occupy territory in Ukraine. Surprisingly, their production would not be possible without machine tools, including those from Germany and Japan. Here's why.
Russian combat tactics, despite incorporating new elements, have largely remained unchanged since World War II. They continue to rely on the use of large amounts of equipment or soldiers and firepower to neutralize resistance points.
Currently, amidst equipment shortages, so-called exploitation infantry units are mainly used, traveling in civilian cars or motorcycles. Their sole task is to compel Ukrainians to open fire.
Subsequently, artillery fire or an air raid dropping KAB glide bombs would target these identified firing points. These bombs, which can contain up to 3,300 pounds of explosives with an accuracy of less than 33 feet, or more when jammers disrupt satellite navigation, are capable of destroying any field fortification.
After such bombardments, Russians typically deploy another disposable infantry group to the region and repeat the action until achieving success. This tactic has been used to capture areas such as Avdiivka and extend up to Pokrovsk.
UMPk modules—without Western CNC machines they won't exist
Russian KAB bombs are made by attaching UMPK (Unifitsirovannogo Nabora Modulei Planirovanie i Korrekcii) modules to old FAB bombs, creating analogs of American JDAM-ER bombs.
The modules themselves, aside from electronics, are crafted from aluminum, which requires precise machining—a significant issue for Russia today. As journalist Łukasz Michalik of WP highlighted, in 1990, Russia was the world's third-largest producer of numerical machines, providing it with sovereign production capabilities for its own industry.
However, within five years, the volume of machine tool production plummeted to zero, and local solutions were replaced by more modern imported machines. After the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine, sanctions and the withdrawal of many companies from the local market have led to challenges in acquiring spare parts or replacements for worn-out machines.
As is often the case, companies that violate sanctions, such as Haas Automation (sanctioned by the USA), emerge. According to the report "The Makers of Ruin: Glide Bombs, UMPK, and Their Civilian Cost" by the NAKO (Independent Anti-Corruption Commission), the most popular CNC machines and tools, such as lathes, originate from German and Japanese manufacturers.
Western numerical machines in Russia—here are some examples
NAKO compiled a list of known equipment used by 26 entities associated with the production of UMPK modules, based on information about the machine parks of these companies or job offers requiring the operation of specific machines.
The extensive list includes machines like the VDF Boehringer VDF 1110, Maho 400T, RIEBESAM 23-03Т, Siemens 802 dl, Kitamura-Fanuc 16iMB, Matsuura MX520, NOMURA NN — 32YB3 XB, and OKUMA MULTUS B300C. These are just a few examples from Germany and Japan. The list also features equipment from the USA, South Korea, and even the Czech Republic, such as the Haas DT-1, Hanwha SM485, or MASTURN MT 550i CNC.
