Russian fighter's explosive arrow attempt proves risky in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine is filled with situations that seem more suited for video games or action movies than real life. A prime example involves a Russian attempting to imitate characters like Rambo or Prophet from Crysis 3 by using a bow and arrows with attached fragmentation grenades. We explore whether this combination is effective.

Attaching grenades to arrows and shooting them with a bow might seem straightforward, but it isn't. The primary issue is that an explosive arrow travels much slower than a grenade launched from a grenade launcher and does not spin as fast. This can prevent the fuse from arming properly.

For grenades like the VOG-17/25 caliber 30/40 mm grenades or those from newer anti-tank grenade launchers such as the RGW90, the standard arming mechanism involves a certain distance measured by the number of revolutions of the grenade in flight. For instance, a grenade typically arms after about 20 yards, which corresponds to approximately 20 revolutions.

Another concern is the risk of the explosive arrow detonating upon launch. Different forces act on the fuse compared to conventional use, which can cause premature detonation.

A video shows that the Russian appears to be using VOG-17 30 mm grenades designed for AGS-17 family machine grenade launchers. It seems this unit lacked AGS grenade launchers but had the grenades, making this unconventional combination preferable to nothing.

It's also worth noting that the shot's range is not impressive. This is likely due to using a regular bow rather than a compound bow with a greater draw weight.

VOG-17 grenades are fragmentation devices with a blast radius of at least 20 feet. They contain a 1.1 oz RDX explosive charge surrounded by pre-fragmented wire housed in a thin steel casing. The arming range of VOG-17 grenades varies from 33 to 197 feet, depending on the specific grenade.

Additionally, these grenades feature a simple impact fuse equipped with a self-destructor, designed to cause self-destruction after about 28 to 36 seconds from arming.