British intelligence tells about Russia's use of 500-kilogram cluster bombs

In November, Russian troops began to use Soviet-made 500-kilogram cluster bombs more frequently to attack the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The use of these low-precision munitions was recorded, in particular, in the Vuhledar and Avdiivka sectors.

Despite the low accuracy of the RBK-500 bombs, which Russian aircraft can launch from long distances, the large number of submunitions in each bomb increases the occupiers' chances of causing damage within a radius of several hundred meters from the point of impact. This was stated by British intelligence, whose reports are published by the UK Ministry of Defense.

According to British intelligence, the Russian air force in November increased the use of RBK-500 cluster bombs (stands for "one-time bomb cassette") weighing half a ton to strike at Ukrainian soldiers. Cases of the occupiers' use of these bombs, which, depending on the modification, contain from 100 to 350 submunitions, each of which either explodes or shatters into hundreds of fragments, were recorded in the Vuhledar sector and near Avdiivka in Donetsk region, where Russian troops launched an offensive on October 10.

And, thanks to certain modifications, Russian aircraft can probably drop these bombs without flying into a dangerous area.

"There is a realistic possibility that, as with other air-dropped bombs, Russia may have recently integrated the UMPC remote-controlled planning kit into the RBK-500. This allows the carrier aircraft to release munitions many kilometers away from the target," the report said.

The British Ministry of Defense also emphasized that Russian bombs of any type demonstrate low accuracy. However, despite this, cluster bombs are capable of causing considerable damage.

"Russian cluster bombs have generally shown low accuracy. However, due to the large number of submunitions, a single RBK-500 can cause damage over an area of several hundred meters, increasing the likelihood of causing at least some damage to the intended target," the British defense ministry emphasized.

The day before, British intelligence estimated Russia's losses in the bloody battles for Avdiivka. According to British estimates, in less than two months of their offensive, the Russians were able to advance a maximum of 2 km. Russia paid for this rather dubious, but the biggest advance in the last year with thousands of occupants' lives.

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