Ukrainian strike UAVs are capable of deploying full-sized aerial bombs weighing 250 kg. Recent evidence supporting this has now been released by Ukrainian sources. It is noted that these munitions were used against targets in the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation by one of the UAV units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The photo shows a FAB-250M-54 aerial bomb and a 120-mm mortar shell. The specific type of UAV is not displayed, but this is unlikely to surprise the enemy.
The fact is that Ukraine has been using UAVs equipped with full-sized FABs for strikes for a long time. Back in April 2024, Russians published a photo of a SkyRanger light aircraft in the Swift version, which had been converted into a strike UAV with a similar bomb and holder.
It evidently crashed due to a malfunction or the effects of Russian electronic warfare. As Defense Express noted at the time, this is essentially a reincarnation of the legendary "night witches" on modern U-2s.
It should be added that these UAVs are reusable, not kamikaze drones, and after dropping a bomb, they return to base and are prepared by crews for new missions. Notably, the known model had markings indicating the destruction of four targets. The accuracy of the bombing is ensured by the optical aiming station.
Meanwhile, while the public model was equipped with a FAB-100, the new one features a significantly more powerful FAB-250. This suggests that the base for this UAV may be a different and more powerful aircraft. Alternatively, the capabilities of the SkyRanger Swift might be greater.