Russia Drops Record Number of Deadly Glide Bombs on Ukraine, Intensifying Air Attacks

In March 2026, Russia executed an unprecedented number of guided bomb drops on Ukraine, according to a report released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on April 3. The ministry disclosed that Russian forces dropped 7,987 glide bombs, surpassing the previous record set in February by more than 1,500 bombs. This surge in bombings indicates Russia's attempt to intensify pressure on Ukrainian military forces, particularly in light of its inability to achieve desired successes on the battlefield.

Additionally, in March, Russian troops carried out 115,000 artillery strikes, including 2,834 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS). The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense noted that despite setbacks on the battlefield, the Russian military is trying to compensate for these failures by increasing the frequency of airstrikes.

Guided bombs, which are dropped from aircraft, have a shorter range than missiles but are cheaper to produce. They are launched from planes stationed behind the front lines in Russia or in occupied territories, rendering them out of reach of Ukrainian air defense systems. Due to their heavy iron construction and high-speed descent from great heights, these bombs are nearly impossible to intercept, unlike cruise missiles or drones, experts have pointed out.

However, Ukraine has managed to deploy jammers that divert bombs from their intended targets. In this war, which resembles a game of cat and mouse, Russia has upgraded its weaponry to overcome last year's jammers, forcing Ukraine to develop a new jamming system this year.

In addition to glide bomb attacks, Russia also launched a record number of drones—approximately 1,000 in a 24-hour period from March 23 to 24. This mass attack during the day resulted in the deaths of seven individuals and injuries to around 50 others. Overall, in March, Russia deployed nearly 6,500 drones, showing no signs of slowing down its assault, especially as peace negotiations mediated by the United States have taken a backseat due to the outbreak of the American-Israeli war in Iran.

Following a harsh winter, Ukraine has had no time to recover. Russia continues to actively launch drones, exceeding the total number from each of the previous two months, and shows no signs of diminishing its pace. 'Russia's tactics are evolving towards more sustainable, flexible, and psychologically exhausting pressure,' remarked Viktor Kevlyuk, a reserve colonel and analyst at the Defense Strategies Center, in a comment to the Kyiv Independent.