Russia Drops 3,000 Kg 'Monster Bomb' on Ukraine — Massive Blast Caught on Camera | WATCH VIDEO

The renewed emphasis on the FAB-3000 indicates a tactical shift, as Russia now prioritizes large glide bombs to penetrate Ukrainian defenses while maintaining its missile inventory.

Russia has once again drawn attention to one of the largest conventional weapons in its arsenal after releasing footage that it says shows a FAB-3000 glide bomb striking Ukrainian positions near the frontline town of Orikhiv. The video, published by Russia’s defence ministry on Monday, shows a large explosion followed by a visible blast wave and thick black smoke rising into the air.

During the 20-second clip, a pilot can be heard saying: “It’s hard to imagine a target that would not be destroyed by an aerial bomb of this size.” Ukrainian media reported that the bomb struck a residential area in Orikhiv, while Russia said it targeted military positions.

The latest footage comes as President Vladimir Putin has vowed more powerful attacks in response to recent Ukrainian operations.

The FAB-3000 is a 3,000kg high-explosive aerial bomb originally developed during the Soviet era. Its name comes from the Russian phrase Fugasnaya Aviatsionnaya Bomba (“High-Explosive Aviation Bomb”), while “3000” refers to its approximate weight.

Around 1.2 to 1.4 tonnes of the bomb consists of explosives, with the remainder made up of its steel casing and other components. The weapon was designed to destroy heavily fortified targets, military infrastructure, industrial sites and concentrations of troops.

Although the FAB-3000 was first used during the Soviet war in Afghanistan in the 1980s, it had largely disappeared from active service for decades.

Russia began using the bomb again during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, initially deploying it as an unguided “dumb bomb” in April 2022. One of its earliest reported uses was during the siege of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.

In February 2024, Russia resumed mass production of the weapon. Since then, the bomb has been fitted with the Universal Planning and Correction Module (UMPK), a guidance and wing kit that converts it into a steerable glide bomb.

The modification enables aircraft to release the bomb from dozens of kilometres away, allowing them to remain outside much of Ukraine’s air-defence range.

Military analysts say the upgrade has restored the battlefield relevance of large Soviet-era bombs.

The FAB-3000 is among the largest conventional bombs Russia is known to be using in the war.

Its blast is capable of:

According to the Ukrainian outlet Antikor, an FAB-3000 strike near Orikhiv left a large crater and caused extensive destruction, with the shockwave damaging buildings well beyond the immediate impact area.

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Orikhiv, in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, had a population of just under 14,000.

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Orikhiv, in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, had a population of just under 14,000.

Military analysts say the answer is largely economic. Compared with cruise and ballistic missiles, FAB bombs are significantly cheaper to produce. By attaching UMPK guidance kits, Russia can convert existing Cold War-era stockpiles into stand-off precision weapons without manufacturing entirely new missiles.

The approach allows Moscow to maintain sustained aerial attacks while preserving its inventory of more advanced missiles.

The renewed use of the FAB-3000 reflects a broader shift in Russia’s battlefield tactics.

Rather than relying solely on expensive precision missiles, Moscow is increasingly using large glide bombs to attack Ukrainian defensive positions and infrastructure from distances that place launch aircraft beyond the reach of many Ukrainian air-defence systems. Ukraine has repeatedly appealed to its Western allies for additional air-defence systems to counter such attacks.

Military analysts say glide bombs such as the FAB-3000 are particularly difficult to defeat because, once released, they are hard to intercept, while the aircraft carrying them often remain well behind the front line.