Ukrainian MiG-29 strikes Russians with AASM bombs in Bakhmut
10 December, 2024 Mk.82 bombs with AASM kit. Photo: AdL The Ukrainian Air Force conducted a bombing strike on the concentration of Russian invaders in Bakhmut, Donetsk region.
Soniah_hub Telegram channel published the video of the incident. It is reported that the attack was carried out using French AASM bombs from a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet. Judging by the footage, there were two bombs.
They hit the multi-story building almost simultaneously.
Airstrike on Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. December 2024. Frame from the video of the Soniah_hub Telegram channel
As a result of the strike, part of the building was destroyed, and no information on enemy casualties was provided.
According to the Telegram channel, a MiG-29 fighter jet of the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade, honorably named "The Ghost of Kyiv," struck the Russian invaders' positions with French-made bombs.
The city of Bakhmut on the unofficial map of hostilities as of early December 2024.
Source: DeepState
OSINT researchers of the WarArchive Telegram channel found out that the building with the Russians was hit in the Novyi sub-district in the city of Bakhmut, which has been under the control of the invaders since last May. The Russian invaders suffered heavy losses during the months-long battles for this city. And now the invaders have turned the remains of the city into a logistics hub to support their troops, who are constantly attacking Ukrainian positions in this area.
AASM
The AASM is a modernization kit for existing free-fall unguided bombs like the U.S.
JDAM, which are already used by Ukrainian tactical aviation. The kit consists of a front part with a guidance system and flaps and a rear part with an accelerator designed to increase the range. France has two types of bomb kits in service: Hammer-250 for Mk.82 bombs weighing 227 kg and Hammer-1000 for 908 kg Mk.84 bombs.
The graphic model of the Mk.84 Bomb with the Hammer-1000 kit disassembled
The nose of the AASM modernization kit can be equipped with three guidance systems: inertial with GPS correction, inertial with thermal imaging seeker, or similar with a laser beam guidance system. Ukrainian pilots introduced the launch of AASM bombs from ultra-low altitudes to avoid being hit by Russian anti-aircraft systems near the front line.
The use of bombs from low altitudes is possible due to the sharp maneuvering of the aircraft and the peculiarity of the French guided bomb, equipped with a solid rocket booster.