The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that its indigenously produced glide bomb has completed all necessary testing and is now ready for deployment in combat operations.
According to a statement from the MoD on 18 May 2026, a participant in the Brave1 initiative developed the glide bomb over a period of 17 months.
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The guided aerial bomb is equipped with a 250-kilogram warhead and features a design intended to meet the demands of modern warfare. It is engineered to strike heavily fortified positions, command centres, and other critical targets located dozens of kilometres from the launch point.
The ministry described the new weapon as a “domestic answer” to those currently fielded by the Russian and Western air forces.
Western militaries typically deploy comparable weapons known as Guided Bomb Units (GBUs), such as the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb and the GBU-31 JDAM, which consist of conventional bombs fitted with guidance kits for extended range and accuracy.
Russia has used a similar approach since 2023 by attaching UMPK guidance kits to Soviet-era FAB bombs.
The ministry has procured an initial experimental batch, and pilots are now conducting training exercises and working to expand the system’s operational capabilities.
Ukraine Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said: “Ukraine is shifting from importing individual solutions to building indigenous high-tech weapons that systematically enhance the capabilities of the Defence Forces and provide technological superiority on the battlefield.
“Ukraine’s guided aerial bomb will soon be striking enemy targets. We are scaling solutions that extend strike range, enhance precision, and change the rules of modern warfare.”
There is no official confirmation of the name of the glide bomb, but Business Insider has referred to the weapon by its reported Ukrainian designation “Vyrivniuvach,” which translates to “Equaliser” or “Leveller” in English.
