"Grom-E1" in Poltava region: how Russia increases the range of air defense missile strikes in Ukraine

Share: A rocket-propelled grenade, believed to be a Grom-E1 anti-aircraft missile, was launched from Belgorod Oblast and hit 30 km from Poltava. Fokus finds out how Moscow modifies glider bombers to bomb from afar and what the real capabilities of Ukraine's air defenses are to counter such a threat. A Russian aerial bomb, presumably a KAB with a jet engine, was launched from the Belgorod region and hit 30 km from Poltava.

According to local sources, the bomb fell in the Poltava district after passing through Skorohodove. Telegram channel Monitor notes that the enemy used a planning aerial bomb with a control and correction module, launched by tactical aircraft from a distance of about 120 km. Experts emphasize that Russia is modifying the means of air attack to increase the range of damage and reduce the risks for its aviation. The "Grom" rocket-bomb weaponry was probably used.

Earlier, on October 18, the Russians hit Lozova with a similar bomb, and in November 2024, they hit the village of Khukhra, Sumy region, 8 km from the border with Poltava region. Aviation expert Kostyantyn Kryvolap said that the Grom-E1 universal cross-species planing munition was most likely used in the Poltava region. Grom-E1, known as a universal interspecies planing munition, has a more complicated history.

The development of this weapon by the Russians began back in 2013-2015, but was postponed. Only in 2023–2024 did they return to the project, modifying it based on the Kh-38 air missile. "Grom-E1" weighs about 600 kg, with a warhead of about 300 kg. Thanks to the solid fuel engine, the ammunition accelerates to a speed of Mach 2-2. 5 and can hit targets at a distance of up to 120 km.

High accuracy (5-10 meters) and speed make it much more dangerous than the D-30SN, but also more expensive — the price reaches 80-100 thousand dollars. "Grom-E1" is launched from fighters such as the Su-30, with an acceleration of up to 1,600 km/h at high altitudes. It was this ammunition that was used for strikes on Poltava Oblast, given its ability to cover significant distances.

However, the high cost limits mass use, making it less common than other guided air bombs, the same D-30SN," the expert tells Focus. According to Kryvolap, shooting down such munitions is a difficult task due to their speed and maneuverability. Modern air defense systems, such as Patriot, are theoretically able to intercept these targets, but it is economically unprofitable due to the high cost of missiles Air defense compared to the price of bombs.

"Interceptor drones such as the Sting cannot effectively counter due to the low weight of the warhead (200 g) and the significant difference in speed. The best way to combat aerial bombs remains their destruction at the stage of production, storage or transportation, and not in flight," says the expert. At the same time, contractors from NATO countries have already developed ready-made solutions against anti-aircraft missiles, which are at the final stage of development.

However, it is currently unknown what kind of weapon it will be. "Military" columnist Vadym Kushnikov said that Russia is actively improving its means of air attack, trying test Ukrainian air defense. Modified UAVs can travel from 100 to 140 km, while classic ones have a range of up to 60 km. Over the past day, the enemy used 175 such munitions along the border of Ukraine. Kushnikov explained why Russia prefers anti-aircraft missiles instead of missiles.

"They are relatively cheaper and there are a lot of them in Russian warehouses, since they make them themselves. The average cost of one is $150,000. The cost of an ordinary anti-tank missile defense system is around 70,000 dollars," said the columnist of the "Military" publication. To counter such munitions, the means of radio-electronic warfare are effective, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine already have certain developments in this direction, the expert noted.

We will remind that the head of the Staff Fund of the Third Army Corps, Oleg Petrenko, announced the "zero effectiveness" of mobile anti-aircraft fire groups. Fokus investigated whether these units have really lost their effectiveness, why such statements are being made now, and what implications a review of their role in the air defense system may have. Focus also wrote that Russia opened a new front against Ukrainian logistics by focusing drone strikes on locomotives, not on stations or tracks.