Russians are producing a new type of heavy 1.5-tonne aircraft bomb that the Ukrainian Defence Forces are not yet able to shoot down, Yuriy Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has said on the telethon.
He noted that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had recently visited enterprises that manufacture 1.5-tonne bombs. It is highly likely that they will be equipped with wings and GPS navigation, as is currently the case with 500-kg bombs.
He noted that 1.5-tonne bombs are three times as powerful while Ukraine needs means to counter them, such as Patriot and SAMP-T systems.
The best option, in his opinion, would be F-16 or other fighter jets of 4+ generation that can counter Russian aviation at long range.
"We need to understand that such bombs strike from a distance of 50 plus kilometres and behind the line of contact or the state border. That is why there is nothing to get them with, the planes that launch them," Ihnat added.