is buying a homegrown glide bomb that could help its pilots strike Russian forces from a safer distance while relying less on weapons supplied by the U.S. and Europe.
The new weapon is called the Vyrivniuvach, or “Equalizer.” It was developed by Ukrainian company DG Industry with support from Brave1, a government-backed defense technology group.
A Ukrainian military official told Ukrinform that the bomb has finished testing and is now being bought for the armed forces. Fox News Digital has reached out to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense for more details.
Until now, Ukraines warplanes have relied heavily on U.S.-supplied JDAM-ER bomb kits and Small Diameter Bombs, as well as French-made Hammer bombs, for precision strikes from safer distances. The Equalizer could give Kyiv more control over its own supply of guided bombs as foreign military aid remains uncertain.
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The Equalizer turns a conventional bomb into a precision weapon by adding wings and guidance systems. It is designed to be dropped from Ukraines MiG-29, Su-24 and Su-27 warplanes, allowing pilots to attack targets farther behind Russian lines while staying farther away from Russian air defenses.
Brave1 told The War Zone that the bomb could eventually be used by Ukraines donated F-16 and Mirage fighter jets, but it needs additional certification before that can happen.
Russias use of glide bombs has become one of the most punishing parts of the war for Ukrainian troops and towns near the front. Ukraines Defense Ministry said Russian forces dropped more than 8,300 guided aerial bombs in July â the highest monthly total of the war and an average of more than 267 bombs a day.
Russias wider air assault has also intensified in recent days. A Russian missile-and-drone barrage on Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight killed at least 16 people and wounded about 40, Ukrainian officials said Thursday. The attack damaged homes, a school and a childrens hospital.
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The Equalizer does not make Ukraine fully independent from foreign supply chains. Brave1 said the bombs wings and flight-control software were made in Ukraine, but its chips and microcircuits come from abroad. The group said about 90% of the weapons parts come from Ukraine, Europe and the U.S.
The weapons have helped Russia pound Ukrainian defensive positions and communities near the fighting.
Ukraine has continued to press the U.S. and European allies for more air-defense weapons. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this month that the U.S. had agreed to send Patriot interceptor missiles each month, but he warned that the volumes were not enough to meet Ukraines needs.
