Russia boosts guided bomb attacks on Ukraine

Key Points
  • Russia used 7,987 guided aerial bombs against Ukraine in March, more than 1,500 above the previous monthly high recorded in February.
  • Ukraine also reported 4,985 combat engagements and more than 115,000 artillery strikes during March, underscoring continued high-intensity fighting across the front.

Russian forces dropped nearly 8,000 guided aerial bombs on Ukraine in March, Ukrainian defense officials said.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Russian troops used 7,987 guided aerial bombs, known as KABs, during the month. The total was more than 1,500 higher than in February, which had previously been the highest monthly figure.

Fighting on the ground remained intense throughout March. The General Staff recorded 4,985 combat engagements over the course of the month, a level that suggests sustained clashes across several active sectors of the front.

- ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW -

The heaviest single day came on March 17, when 286 combat engagements were reported.

Russian forces also kept up a high volume of artillery fire. Ukraine said the military recorded more than 115,000 artillery strikes in March, including 2,834 attacks involving multiple launch rocket systems.

Taken together, the figures show that Russia is continuing to lean on a mix of airstrikes, artillery barrages, and steady frontline assaults to keep pressure on Ukrainian defenses.

Guided aerial bombs have become one of the war’s most closely watched strike weapons. Dropped from aircraft and fitted with guidance kits, they allow crews to hit targets from a distance while limiting exposure to frontline air defense systems.

That has made them particularly effective against defensive positions, troop concentrations, and logistics points near the line of contact.

Russian 9K57 Uragan

For Ukraine, the steady rise in precision-guided glide munition strikes adds to an already difficult battlefield environment. Combined with constant artillery fire and frequent combat engagements, the data released for March point to a war that remains deeply attritional, with both sides continuing to commit large amounts of firepower.

The latest figures also suggest that the overall pace of combat has not eased as spring begins, with air-delivered strikes now playing an increasingly visible role in Russia’s effort to maintain pressure across the front.

Readers who wish to follow our weekly coverage can subscribe to the Weekly Defense Roundup.

If you wish to report a grammatical or factual error in this article, please let us know by using the online form.

Executive Editor

Support The Defence Blog

Independent reporting takes resources. Join us on Patreon.

Become a patron

More Like This

Ukraine and Sweden sign Gripen E fighter purchase deal

Sweden and Ukraine signed an agreement covering the procurement of fighter jets for Ukraine's Air Force, with deliveries set to begin in early 2029,...

Russian officials accused of stealing $6M from naval base project

Russian investigators have opened criminal cases alleging officials and contractors stole approximately 500 million rubles ($6.4 million) earmarked for constructing naval infrastructure at the...

Ukraine’s top defense adviser lists nine critical gaps in the country’s military tech

Serhii Beskrestnov, known by his call sign "Flash" and serving as an adviser to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, published a public assessment that catalogs...

Ukraine says Japanese parts are in 90% of Russia’s missiles and drones

Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Denys Brasheuk told Kyodo News in an exclusive interview that Japanese-manufactured components have been identified in approximately 90 percent of the...

Ukraine’s ballistic missile to hit Moscow is almost ready

Ukraine is on the verge of test-launching its first domestically produced long-range ballistic missile capable of striking Moscow, the founder of the company building...