RBK-500 cluster bombs, which Russia first used against the Armed Forces Ukraine (AFU), help hold back the offensive Kyiv. A military expert, director of the Museum of Air Defense Forces, spoke about this in a conversation with Lenta.ru Yuri Knutov. He also described how effective these projectiles were in combat.

RBK-500 has a long range of action

According to Yuri Knutov, RBK-500 is dropped from a height of several kilometers. One ammunition weighs about half a ton. It is filled with submunitions that affect an area the size of a football field.

“They function in much the same way as American bombs used by the enemy. There is a body, there are submunitions that are inside. The container opens at a certain height, and then the ammunition is scattered,” he explained.

We have more modern ones that have self-aiming ammunition, that is, an air bomb dropped from an airplane opens up, and each submunition then independently finds a target and hits it

Yuri Knutov

military expert

Russia uses cluster munitions against Ukrainian personnel

Cluster munitions come in different types – anti-personnel and designed to destroy armored vehicles, noted Yuri Knutov. Kyiv has been using these shells in large quantities for a long time, which is why Moscow I also started using them, he explained.

RBK-500 is designed to destroy enemy infantry and personnel. The purpose of these munitions is to deter the advance of Ukrainian personnel, who are continuing meat assaults in some areas

Yuri Knutov

military expert

“The enemy has been using cluster bombs against us for a long time, but we have refrained from using them for a long time. (…) Therefore, perhaps we have decided here to launch a similar retaliatory strike,” he added.

According to international convention on cluster munitions, it is prohibited to stockpile, transfer or transfer projectiles that spread submunitions. At the same time, neither Russia nor Ukraine signed this agreement.

November 19 became knownthat the Russian military for the first time used RBK-500 cluster bombs against the positions of Ukrainian troops. According to the Telegram channel “Warrior DV”, they were used in the South Donetsk direction.