Putin Left Humiliated After Russian Warplanes Drop Nearly 40 Deadly Bombs on Country's Own Territory

Vladimir Putin has been embarrassed after Russian warplanes accidentally dropped nearly 40 lethal glide bombs on their own cities, according to official Kremlin documents.

These massive bombs, which contain up to 500 kg of explosives, can create craters 20 meters deep and six meters wide. They have been devastatingly effective on Ukrainian cities and frontline army positions, causing significant damage and loss of life.

However, a document compiled by officials from Belgorod's emergency services department records 38 incidents between April 2023 and April 2024, where Russian pilots mistakenly targeted their own cities with these lethal bombs. The mishaps are believed to stem from defective munitions and poor maintenance.

Ruslan Leviev, a military expert with the Conflict Intelligence Group, told the Washington Post, "A certain percentage of Russian bombs is defective. We think these accidental releases are caused by the unreliability of these kits, something that does not seem to bother the Air Force."

A glide bomb is created by adding fold-out wings and satellite navigation to old Soviet bombs, which are plentiful. Versions include the FAB 500 and the FAB 1500. A new three-tonne bomb was dropped for the first time on a village in the Kharkiv region in June.

The pop-out wings allow the bombs to glide 50 to 70 kilometers through the air at high speeds, enabling Russian jets to launch them while remaining out of range of Ukrainian air defense systems. These bombs have helped Russia's army break through Ukrainian defensive positions and make territorial gains in the east.

A recent report by the Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) stated that these bombs were decisive in February's capture of the heavily fortified key eastern town of Avdiivka.

Several incidents of Russian munitions landing in the Belgorod region have previously been reported. On May 12, an explosion led to the partial collapse of a Belgorod apartment building, killing 17 people.

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The Kremlin blamed it on a Ukrainian missile, but OSINT researchers concluded it was a Russian bomb.

Researchers for the independent Russian media outlet Astra estimate that as many as 119 bombs have been dropped in the country and in the occupied territories of Ukraine in the last four months.