Russian military mishaps: 38 bombs dropped on own territory

The Defence Romania service, citing one of the independent Russian channels on Telegram called "Astra," reports that over the past three months, Russian military aviation has "dropped" at least 38 bombs on Russian territory and the occupied territories of Eastern Ukraine. This includes 1,100-pound FAB-500 aerial bombs. Let us recall what they are.

The Romanian military-themed service notes that information about the "dropped" bombs on May 17 was provided by several Russian and Ukrainian sources, as well as the Czech press agency ČTK. It also recalls that issues with the use of Russian aerial bombs were recently signaled by British military intelligence.

According to Defence Romania, three 1,100-pound FAB-500 aerial bombs fell on May 15 in various parts of the Belgorod region. There were no casualties in these incidents, but Russian sources report that a similar incident on May 4, when an FAB-500 aerial bomb fell directly on the city of Belgorod from a Russian airplane, caused damage to 31 houses, 10 cars and injured 7 people.

FAB-500 bombs belong to the family of general-purpose FAB aerial bombs. They can destroy military objects, railway junctions, lightly armored targets, personnel, or military field fortifications. The bomb weighs 1,100 pounds, with 660 pounds constituting the explosive material. The FAB-500 was developed in the Soviet Union, and its first use took place on April 28, 1943, when the Red Army dropped the bomb on German coastal fortifications near Königsberg.

After being dropped and hitting the target, the FAB-500 can cause severe destruction. Typically, its explosion creates a crater with a 26- to 39-foot diameter and a depth of up to 13 feet. Currently, the Russians are using several types of modified FAB-500s. Among them are the FAB-500 M-54 bomb, which is adapted for carriage by most combat aircraft, and the FAB-500 M-62T, which travels at high speeds. The second type is often carried by Russians using Su-27 fighters or MiG-25s.

This is not the first time Russians have lost bombs. At the beginning of 2024, the "Astra" channel reported the "dropping" of FAB-250 bombs also on the Belgorod region. At that time, The Moscow Times reported that this was at least the eighth such incident.