Russians deployed the new KAB against Kharkiv: what we know about the "Grom-E1" bomb.

Russian forces continue to strike with new guided aerial bombs against the civilian population of Ukraine. On the night of November 9, Russian military dropped yet another bomb on Kharkiv, hitting one of the city’s main roads.

The head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Oleg Synegubov, reported that it was a guided missile "Grom-E1". The explosion damaged a gas station, a hotel, a construction supermarket, and a residential building. It's important not to confuse definitions. The "Grom-E1" serves as both a bomb and a missile simultaneously. Essentially, it is a guided aerial bomb equipped with a rocket engine, which has increased its flight range to 120 km.

The prototype was first showcased in 2015, and by 2019, claims were made regarding the completion of its testing. It was first utilized by the Russians in 2023. The warhead of this bomb-missile weighs 315 kg. It can be launched to strike targets at a distance of 120 km from a maximum launch altitude of 12 km. Experts consider the X-38 missile or the OFAB-500U aerial bomb as potential bases for creating "Grom-E1" — both are quite lethal.

The active use of such bomb-missiles was reported recently by The Telegraph. It notes that these guided aerial bombs will allow the Russians to conduct strikes from Su-30 and Su-34 aircraft while remaining out of reach of AMRAAM missiles on F-16s and other air defense systems available in Ukraine. Civilian areas in Myrnohrad, Kherson, and Kharkiv have already been targeted by Russian "Grom-E1" strikes.

"Telegraph" mentioned that one of the few real ways to combat guided aerial bombs is to use F-16 aircraft to shoot down enemy bombers before they can drop their bombs. Alternatives in Ukraine are limited, with another method being the destruction of aircraft deployment sites.