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The Russia-Ukraine war has developed into a protracted tug-of-war. As time passed, the battle became more and more stalemate. Recently, the Russian army dropped a number of giant aerial bombs weighing three tons, FAB-3000, further controlling the initiative on the battlefield. So, where is this decisive FAB-3000? And how will it affect the situation in Russia and Ukraine?
On June 20, 2024, the Russian TASS news agency reported that Russia used a FAB-3000 high-explosive aerial bomb in a military operation. The operation targeted the building of the 13th separate special brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard in the Pchi region of the Kharkiv region, and after the bomb was dropped, the command post was immediately wiped out and more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were wiped out on the spot.
The research and development of FAB-3000 can be traced back to the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and it is a giant aerial bomb specially developed for the Cold War, the series contains FAB-500, FAB-1500 and other models, and the following number represents the weight of the bomb.
The overall weight of the FAB-3000 is 3 tons, the weight of the explosive part is 1.6 tons, the potential damage radius is 46 meters, the killing range can reach 6000 square meters, and the probabilistic circular deviation is less than 10 meters. That is to say, on the premise of ensuring the personal safety of the pilot, it can hit targets in complex terrain more accurately.
The bomb was used in the Afghan war during the Soviet era, but due to the limited occasions that required volley bombing during the Cold War, the FAB-3000 did not shine in that year, and was hoarded in warehouses for most of the time, and was even basically destroyed after the end of the Cold War.
After the transfer of bomber technology in the USSR, derivatives of the series also came to the continent, the predecessors of the largest aerial bombs 3000-1 and 3000-2 that the mainland had ever armed.
On March 26 this year, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced in a high-profile manner that the FAB-3000, which had been out of production for half a century, would officially resume production, and at the same time indicated that the bomb would be put into the Russian-Ukrainian war to destroy the fortress buildings of the Ukrainian army. And this blow on the Kharkov battlefield became the perfect debut of the FAB-3000.
The choice of the Ukrainian command post building as the target of the attack was on the one hand for the consideration of assisting the battlefield in northern Ukraine, but more importantly, it was to show the power of the FAB-3000, so as to hit the morale of the Ukrainian army and the Western countries behind it.
You must know that most of Ukraine's military defense system relies on forest belts, trenches, ring fortifications and military industrial buildings left over from the former Soviet Union, including the Azovstal steel plant, which has been under attack for a long time.
And the successful launch of FAB-3000 proves that Russia is fully capable of destroying Ukraine's defense system. Compared with the losses caused to Ukraine by the bomb itself, the destruction of the defense system is the most difficult thing for the Ukrainian army.
After all, Russia itself has air superiority over Ukraine, so air defense has always been a top priority for the Ukrainian military. When Ukraine found that the Russian army could easily break through their air defense system, they were completely disqualified from fighting for air supremacy.
What's even more exaggerated is that the Ukrainian army originally thought that they could evade the attack of FAB-3000 through the bunker, however, FAB-3000, known as the "master of penetrating the wall", can destroy underground bunkers more than 10 meters away, and the underground fortifications of the Ukrainian army are vulnerable in front of it. The American media "The National Interest" even bluntly said: "Russia has blown up the backbone of the Ukrainian army." ”
It can be said that the appearance of FAB-3000 has raised the bloodiness of war to another level. According to forecasts, Russia has produced at least 100 FAB-3000s, which means that it has every chance of becoming a conventional weapon on the battlefield. What's more, Russia has not yet dispatched the more powerful FAB-5000 and FAB-9000. With FAB-3000 alone, the Ukrainian army is no longer able to resist.
The Russia-Ukraine war is now in its third year. Compared with the initial stage, Russia has built a defense system more suitable for the battlefield, effectively curbing Ukraine's offensive in the east, but Ukraine is now almost in a situation of being beaten unilaterally. More and more soldiers are dying on the battlefield, and there are no soldiers available in the rear, coupled with the shortage of ammunition, the situation of the Ukrainian army can be described as becoming more and more passive.
In order to change this situation, Ukraine has also repeatedly expanded the scope of conscription, from men of school age at the beginning, to women, and even 60-year-old people, the Ukrainian army has almost exhausted everything, but it is still unable to resist the powerful offensive of the Russian army. On the other hand, Western countries, led by the United States, have failed to provide reciprocal assistance to Ukraine.
However, under the bombardment of FAB-3000, Russian forces have approached Kyiv. As the capital and an important hub of war, once Kyiv is out of control, then the Russian-Ukrainian war will not be far from the dust settled.
The outcome of the Russia-Ukraine war is closely related to the future of the United States and Western countries, and although Western countries are reluctant to continue to provide bottomless assistance to Ukraine, they must not accept this situation. In order to limit the further expansion of the advantages of the Russian army, Western countries have to provide Ukraine with the means to be able to counter the FAB-3000.
According to the British "Guardian" report, in order to resist the bombing of the Russian army in Kharkiv, the first batch of F-16 fighters delivered to Ukraine will be directly deployed in the Kharkiv region.
Theoretically, the F-16 is capable of covering most of Russia's southwestern territory, including Moscow, the capital of Russia, which is why the United States chose to send the F-16 to Ukraine.
However, before Russia officially launched the FAB-3000, the United States also confidently believed that it would be impossible for them to complete the dropping of the bomb. Similarly, although the United States believes that the F-16 can contain the Russian offensive, we have no way of knowing how it will actually be.
As a heavy aerial bomb, the terrifying lethality of the FAB-3000 has helped Russia establish absolute superiority on the battlefield, but it has also brought unpredictable effects on the direction of future wars. American experts even pointed out directly: "This is the most lethal heavy conventional weapon in human history, and it will have a revolutionary impact on future wars when it comes out." ”
Although the FAB-3000 is now only being released against Ukraine, it does not mean that it will never be put on our soil, and more powerful weapons than the FAB-3000 will appear in the future. While we are not now victims of new weapons, we must be aware of the potential pitfalls of these high-lethal weapons. Peace is the ultimate pursuit rather than victory in war.
Resources:
"The Russian army dropped a 3-ton bomb on Ukraine for the first time, and the FAB-3000 bomb showed its power" Global Times
"The Ukrainian army is in trouble! The Russian army "planted wings" for the super bomb "International Online".
Asia Today CCTV4
"Russian media: The Russian army began mass production of "super bombs"" reference news