Click to see full-size image.
A photo that surfaced online on October 9 appears to show for the first time a Russian FAB-500T aerial bomb fitted with a turbojet engine mounted beneath a Su-34 fighter bomber, offering a clearer view of the propulsion configuration associated with the UMPB-5R long-range guidance kit.
The image shows a turbojet attached to the rear of the bomb, with its air intake visible. The munition does not appear to be fully equipped with the UMPB-5R kit, which is installed after the bomb and engine have been fitted.
The range of the UMPB-5R-equipped FAB-500T is reported to be 150 to 200 kilometers. The extended range is attributed to the combination of turbojet propulsion, an improved aerodynamic shape and an updated guidance system.
Reports about the UMPB-5R first emerged in October 2025, after Ukrainian authorities reported the use of a new jet-powered guided bomb. Photos of recovered wreckage appeared to show a copy of the Chinese-made Swiwin SW800Pro-Y engine, but the images depicted only fragments.
The turbojet configuration is intended to allow Russian warplanes to launch the weapons from greater distances, keeping them farther from Ukrainian air defenses.
The Russian Aerospace Forces has increasingly relied on guided aerial bombs launched by Su-34 fighter bombers to strike military positions and infrastructure across Ukraine.
Although the latest photo provides a clearer view of the engine-equipped configuration, it does not establish the weapon’s actual operational range or confirm how extensively the version has entered combat use. In any case, the UMPB-5R yet another threat to Ukraine, whose air defenses are already struggling to cope with ballistic missiles and one-way attack drones.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
