Ukraine Warns Russia Plans to Produce 120,000 Glide Bombs in 2025, Including New Long-Range Models

Exclusive: Ukraine’s intelligence agency says Russia plans to produce up to 120,000 glide bombs this year, including 500 new long-range models capable of reaching more towns and cities.

A senior Ukrainian intelligence official said Russia is expanding production of its inexpensive yet highly destructive glide bombs, which travel dozens of kilometres using wings—and in some cases, engines—to hit their targets.

Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has dramatically ramped up arms production, operating its defense plants around the clock. Moscow does not disclose weapons output, which is classified.

Reuters was unable to verify the 2025 target disclosed by Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, during an interview. He did not reveal how the figure was obtained or provide previous comparative data. Still, the number suggests a major surge in glide-bomb manufacturing.

Skibitskyi said Russian forces are currently launching 200–250 glide bombs per day, compared with a daily average of around 170 last month, according to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.

“These bombs can be shot down, but the sheer volume being produced in the Russian Federation is extremely high,” he said. “It is a threat—a threat we must respond to appropriately.”

Russia Increasing Glide Bomb Range

Earlier glide bombs had an estimated range of about 90 km (56 miles), allowing Russia to strike Ukrainian positions without exposing its aircraft to frontline air defenses.

They are cheaper and far more plentiful than missiles, yet can carry hundreds of kilograms of explosives capable of demolishing buildings and fortifications. Glide bombs have devastated frontline cities such as Kharkiv and Kherson.

Skibitskyi said Russia has begun mass production of a new glide bomb capable of flying up to 200 km (125 miles) from the release point. About 500 of these are expected to be produced by year-end.

Ukraine also believes Russia is modifying these bombs to reach 400 km, enabling Moscow to hit many more Ukrainian cities without relying on missiles.

Recent glide-bomb attacks in October on Mykolaiv, Poltava, and Odesa—each located dozens of kilometres from the nearest frontline—already demonstrate Moscow’s expanding strike reach.

Russia’s Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Moscow denies targeting civilians, though thousands have been killed and injured since the invasion. Russia claims Ukraine’s alignment with the West poses a threat that must be countered.

Attacks Aimed at Pressuring Kyiv into Negotiations

Skibitskyi also outlined Russia’s growing drone-production capacity, which he said is enabling more precise attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

He estimated Russia will produce about 70,000 long-range drones in 2025, including 30,000 Shahed-type drones, now a central weapon in Moscow’s strike arsenal.

“They started with 30 drones a month. Now 30 drones can be launched at a single target,” he said, warning that attacks on gas and power facilities are likely to intensify through winter.

“They want to break us. It destabilizes the internal situation,” he said, describing drone and bomb attacks as tools meant to pressure Ukraine into adopting a more compliant position in any potential peace talks.

He added that if Russian forces capture the embattled city of Pokrovsk, where street-to-street fighting is ongoing, they will likely push toward the remainder of the Donetsk region—Moscow’s long-stated goal.

“That is their next direction. It is clear.”

North Korea Expands Drone Production, Shell Supply Falls

North Korea’s shipment of millions of artillery rounds helped Russia sustain its battlefield firepower through 2024. But Skibitskyi said deliveries have dropped sharply this year because Pyongyang’s stockpiles have dwindled.

Since 2023, North Korea has supplied Russia with around 6.5 million artillery shells, taking advantage of Moscow’s isolation to deepen bilateral ties.

There were no shipments in September, though some resumed in October. Skibitskyi said about half of these shells were so old they needed to be refurbished at Russian plants.

North Korea has also begun large-scale production of short-range FPV drones and medium-range combat drones, though Skibitskyi did not specify quantities.

“They are learning—they are studying their experience from this war to expand production at home,” he said.

Last year, thousands of North Korean soldiers reportedly fought alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region after Ukraine launched a surprise incursion elsewhere to stretch Russian troops and gain leverage in potential negotiations.

North Korea has acknowledged its involvement, claiming it is helping preserve global stability amid Western aggression, but it has not provided details and has not responded to inquiries for comment.