Russia Plans to Produce 120,000 Glide Bombs in 2025, Warns Ukrainian Intelligence

Russia is set to significantly escalate its glide bomb production in 2025, aiming to manufacture up to 120,000 of these inexpensive but powerful weapons, including 500 new models with extended range capable of striking deeper inside Ukraine, according to a senior Ukrainian intelligence official. These glide bombs, which are equipped with wings and sometimes engines to glide long distances, allow Russia to target Ukrainian cities and defenses without risking manned aircraft crossing into hostile airspace where they could be shot down.

Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, said Russian forces are currently launching between 200 and 250 glide bombs daily—up from around 170 per day last month. The new longer-range glide bombs can fly up to 200 kilometers, with Russia reportedly working on versions that may reach 400 kilometers, extending their reach to more Ukrainian towns and cities far from front lines. These weapons are cheaper and more numerous than missiles but carry hundreds of kilograms of explosives, capable of devastating buildings and fortifications.

Alongside glide bomb production, Moscow is increasing drone manufacturing, with an estimated 70,000 long-range drones expected this year, including 30,000 Shahed drones frequently used to strike Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. These attacks aim to destabilize Ukraine internally and pressure Kyiv into more favorable peace negotiations for Russia.

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Ukraine also reports that North Korea supplied millions of artillery shells to Russia early in the conflict, but deliveries have slowed recently as Pyongyang runs low on stock. Meanwhile, North Korea has started mass-producing its own drones locally, learning from the ongoing war. Thousands of North Korean troops reportedly fought alongside Russian forces last year, further indicating the complex international dimensions of the conflict.

This rapid buildup of glide bombs and drones underscores Moscow’s strategy to maintain relentless pressure on Ukraine using cost-effective, hard-to-intercept aerial weapons, complicating Ukraine’s defense efforts and prolonging the war’s devastation.

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