Russia uses thermobaric bombs to hunt down Ukrainian UAV operators
Russian pilots have free movement over the front line; F-16 fate may be worse than Rafale; Russia uses thermobaric bombs to hunt down Ukrainian UAV crews
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•12/07/2025
The US’s reluctance to provide military aid to Ukraine fully reflects the West’s frustration with the prospect of conflict in Ukraine. Since the conflict broke out in early 2022, the US and Europe have emptied almost all Soviet weapons from around the world and transferred them to Ukraine. They have then gradually depleted the war ammunition stocks of NATO powers. However, these Western efforts have not been effective. According to the current situation on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield, the strategic turning point of this war is very close, and Russia's summer offensive will begin soon.
It should be emphasized that in the next stage of the war, the Russian Air Force will become the main player on the battlefield. Polish media reported that the Russian military lifted tactical restrictions on Russian Air Force pilots for the first time since the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Polish website Defense24 reported that Russian fighter pilots are now given greater autonomy and can make their own decisions based on the actual situation on the battlefield without waiting for orders from their superiors. Polish media pointed out that this tactical relaxation could be related to the decline in Ukraine's air defense capabilities. With a lack of anti-aircraft missiles in some frontline areas, Russian pilots have begun to show more initiative. Defence24 believes that this poses a greater threat to Ukraine's rear, while increasing the risk to Ukraine's frontline air force; especially fighter jets using precision-guided bombs to attack Russian positions. The Ukrainian Air Force currently has a number of American F-16 and French Mirage-2000 fighters, which are not only capable of precision strikes on Russian frontline targets but also of preventing Russian fighters from conducting airstrikes deep into Ukraine. Although the F-16 is technically outdated, the Ukrainian Air Force is still “very confident” in it.
Currently, the Ukrainian Air Force has no more than 20 F-16 and Mirage-2000 fighters, but they lack effective protection from air defense systems, and their combat missions are limited to “surprise ambush” type attacks. After the Iran-Israel War broke out, the US transferred all Patriot-2/3 air defense missiles that were used to support Ukraine to Israel. Therefore, for Russia, this is a great opportunity to destroy Ukrainian fighter jets. Defence24 believes that if an air confrontation occurs at this time, the advantage is completely tilted towards the Russian Air Force. On the Russia-Ukraine battlefield, the three main fighters of the Russian Air Force are the Su-57, Su-35S and Su-30SM. They belong to the fifth and fourth generation of fighters. Even if the F-16 refuses to admit its age, it will still be defeated by the Su-57. In the recent India-Pakistan air battle, the French 4th generation Rafale fighter, which had previously claimed to have shot down an F-35 during a NATO exercise, was “inexplicably” shot down by a Chinese-made J-10CE. Therefore, the old, obsolete F-16s that Ukraine received from Western countries will have an even worse outcome than the Rafale when facing the Su-57 and Su-35S of the Russian Air Force. Currently, the Russian tactical aviation forces have intensified their operations on the battlefield. A video of a Russian ODAB-1500 thermobaric bomb attack on a Ukrainian military UAV control post near Pleshchiivka in Donetsk has appeared on the Internet. It is likely that there will be no survivors after the explosion.
According to Russian military sources, the Ukrainian military has set up a UAV control base in several civilian homes in the village of Pleshcheyevka, located between Konstantinovka and Toretsk. One building houses the control center, another is used for storage and repair of UAVs, and the UAV operators live in the remaining buildings. The AFU UAV control position was discovered by RFAF reconnaissance, and it was then attacked. The weapon chosen for the attack was a heavy thermobaric bomb, enough to destroy all the buildings in the area along with the Ukrainian troops hiding inside. According to military experts, a large thermobaric bomb is an ideal weapon for attacking such targets, as it can cover a large area, but with limited protection. After the explosion, a fireball with a diameter of tens of meters appeared at the bomb site, then gradually turned into a white smoke, rising as high as a nine-story building.
Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield are now complaining about the active Russian tactical air force, which poses a terrifying threat to Ukrainian troops fighting on the front lines. The reason may be the weak performance of Ukrainian air defenses. In particular, Ukrainian soldiers have complained about the increased losses of UAV operators, who have become a priority target for the Russian Air Force. (photo source: Military Review) A Russian ODAB-1500 thermobaric bomb destroyed a Ukrainian UAV control post in the village of Pleshchiivka, south of the city of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. Source: Military Review
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