Illustrative image. (Screengrab\the Russian Ministry of Defense)
A Russian pinpoint airstrike hit on August 2 the Korabel bridge in the western part of the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson.
The bridge was targeted with a single FAB-3000 bomb equipped with a UMPK [Russian: УМПК; Унифицированный модуль планирования и коррекции, Unified gliding and correction module] kit. The bomb hit the key bridge with extreme precision, inflicting heavy damage on it.
The UMPK kit was developed by Russia’s Bazalt Design Bureau to convert unguided Soviet bombs into precision-guided munitions. It was first fitted to the FAB-250 and 500 bombs. Later, larger models were developed for the FAB-1500 and 3000.
The FAB-3000, a general-purpose bomb, weighs around three tons with some 1,4 tons of explosives. When upgraded with the UMPK kit, the bomb can hit targets with high accuracy thanks to a GLONASS-aided inertial navigation system.
The kit allows the bomb to glide with a range of up to 80 kilometers, depending on the altitude and speed of the carrier warplane at the time of its release.
While UMPK-equipped bombs can be employed by most warplanes in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), the FAB-3000 has been only spotted loaded on Su-34 fighter bombers which have the sufficient power to maneuver with the heavy bomb.
The Korabel is one of the largest bridges to get hit since the start of the Russian special military operation. The pinpoint strike proves that the VKS has the ability to target very similar bridges on the Dnieper River, if needed. So far, Russia has refrained from taking such a step.
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