Over the course of more than three years of conflict, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have received a massive influx of Western-supplied military equipment. Tanks, air defense systems, various types of munitions, and fighter aircraft are just some of the assets transferred. However, the country has not abandoned the development and production of domestically sourced equipment, seeking greater autonomy in its use. Such is the case with a new development in which MiG-29 fighters—the main workhorse of the Ukrainian Air Force—are reportedly being fitted with a new glide bomb that, as images attest, bears a strong resemblance to Russian-made UMPK kits.
A few days ago, a series of images and videos went viral on social media showing a Ukrainian MiG-29 in flight carrying an unusual bomb under its wings. Based on observations, it appeared to be a 500-kilogram unguided bomb fitted with what seems to be an unidentified guidance kit, effectively turning it into a glide bomb.
What stands out about this locally developed kit is its striking similarity to the UMPK (roughly translated as “Unified Planning and Correction Module”), widely used by the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) to convert their vast stock of unguided bombs into guided glide munitions.
This is no small detail, as equipping a free-fall bomb with such kits—comparable to the American JDAM—enables strike aircraft such as the VKS’s Sukhoi Su-34 to conduct direct or indirect attacks against ground targets from longer ranges and with greater safety margins. This is particularly relevant in Ukraine’s contested airspace, saturated with air defense systems of all types and ranges.
At the same time, the relatively low cost of such kits compared to other stand-off weapons allows the latter to be reserved for high-value tactical and strategic targets, while cheaper glide bombs can be employed in greater numbers for daily operations. In this regard, according to official figures from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, the VKS employed a total of 4,390 guided bombs in August, presumably using UMPK kits—a figure higher than the 3,786 recorded in the same month of 2024.
Given the effectiveness observed with these kits in Russian service, Ukraine is believed to have launched its own development program to produce a similar model, although no official designation has yet been disclosed.
Before the recent viral footage of MiG-29s carrying the new bombs, reports of the development had already emerged months earlier, but involving Su-24 Fencer strike aircraft as the launch platform.
According to Ukrainian sources, a bomb equipped with the kit would have an estimated range of 60 kilometers, with ongoing refinements aiming to extend this to 80 kilometers—surpassing the Russian UMPK’s 70-kilometer range. However, the actual range may vary depending on the launch platform used.
Finally, despite Ukraine already receiving systems such as JDAM-ER, SDB, and the French AASM Hammer, it is not out of the question that this new development could be adapted for use by Western fighters such as the F-16 and Mirage 2000-5, as well as by other Soviet-origin attack aircraft still in Ukrainian service, such as the Sukhoi Su-25.
*Cover photo used for illustrative purposes
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