Russia aims to produce a total of 120,000 glide bombs and 70,000 long-range drones in 2025, including 30,000 Shahed UAVs.

Source : Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, in an interview with Reuters

Details : Skibitskyi noted that among the glide bombs Russia is producing will be 500 new bombs with a longer flight range, capable of reaching more Ukrainian cities.

He said that Russian forces launch between 200 and 250 glide bombs every day. The average daily figure was around 170 in October.

Quote : "It is possible to shoot them down, but the quantity of these aerial bombs produced in the Russian Federation... is enormous. This is a threat. A threat that will require us to respond appropriately."

Details : Reuters noted that bombs previously assessed as having a range of up to 90 km can break through Ukrainian defences without sending aircraft across the line of contact, where they could be downed.

They are far cheaper and more accessible than missiles and their several hundred kilos of explosives can break through buildings and fortifications. They have struck frontline cities such as Kharkiv and Kherson.

Skibitskyi said that Russia is beginning large-scale production of a new glide bomb capable of flying up to 200 km from the point of launch from a fighter jet, adding that around 500 such bombs are planned for production by the end of this year.

Ukraine also believes that Russia is working on modifications that would allow such bombs to fly up to 400 km, enabling Moscow to strike even more Ukrainian cities without using missiles.

Reuters added that October attacks using glide bombs on Mykolaiv, Poltava and Odesa oblasts – all located at least dozens of kilometres from the nearest lines of contact – have demonstrated the increased range of this weapon.

Skibitskyi also provided an assessment of Russian drone production, which, he said, has allowed more effective attacks on Ukraine's energy system.

He believes that by 2025 Russia will produce around 70,000 long-range drones in total, including 30,000 Shahed UAVs, which are the main force behind Russia's attacks.

Quote : "They started with 30 drones per month, now 30 can fly to a single target."

"They definitely want to break us. This is destabilising the internal situation."

Details : Skibitskyi described this as one of the tools Russia uses to pressure Ukraine into taking a more accommodating position in any possible peace talks.

He also said that if Russian forces capture the city of Pokrovsk, where street fighting is currently underway, they will likely advance towards the borders of Donetsk Oblast, which has long been one of their goals.

Quote : "It's their next direction of movement, it's obvious."

Background : In September, Skibitskyi said that Russia had changed its tactics for attacking Ukraine and was also deploying modernised weapons.

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