Russian munitions misfire, falling on their own soil in an alarming trend
"A Russian plane dropped a bomb on a village in the Krasnodar Territory, but the Russians are staying quiet about this event," reports the Ukrainian agency Unian. This incident is part of a concerning trend where Russian ammunition accidentally lands within the Russian Federation.
Recently, it's become apparent that the Russian Federation is grappling with a significant issue regarding their missiles and bombs. More specifically, their ammunition frequently fails to hit its intended target, with missiles that are supposed to strike Ukraine often landing in Russia instead.
These mishaps have become more frequent since the beginning of 2024. Analysts suggest this could be linked to the ramped-up pace of weapons production and a lack of effective quality control for new ammunition. In recent months, numerous online images have shown "misplaced" missiles, including the Kh-35, which ended up in Russia. Instances of Kalibr and OFAB-250 bombs accidentally falling on Russian soil have also been documented.
Russians accidentally bomb their own land again
This incident, which – as reported by Union – Russia is diligently trying to keep under wraps, has caught the media's attention. It occurred on Tuesday, May 7th, marking another bombing within just a few days in one of the villages of the Krasnodar Territory.
The weapon in question was likely again an FAB bomb. The Russians commonly use this type of bomb in their bombing operations in Ukraine. Notably, this same FAB bomb had previously fallen on May 4th in Belgorod, while on May 3rd, it had landed in the Russian village of Krutoi Log.
The most recent incident occurred in Vorontsovka, located in the Krasnodar Territory by the Sea of Azov. This location indicates that the bomb was probably meant for the southern part of Ukraine.
The FAB bomb dropped in the Krasnodar Territory is part of a family of Soviet general-purpose aerial bombs coming in various sizes. They range from lighter models around 250 kilograms (FAB-250) and 500 kilograms (FAB-500) to heavier versions like the 1500 kilograms (FAB-1500) and beyond. The fact that there were no casualties in the latest incident suggests that one of the lighter models, either the 250 kg or 500 kg variant, was used.
The FAB-500, an older design first used in 1943, measures over two meters in length in its basic variant, with a diameter of nearly 41 centimetres. The warhead weighs between 200 and 300 kilograms. A FAB-500's explosion can create a crater up to 12 meters in diameter and 4 meters deep. The FAB-500's design was a basis for developing a more modern bomb, the KAB-500, comparable to the American GBU-15.
