Britain's Intelligence Agency Explains Why Russian Planes Are Bombing Its Territory

• 4.06.2026, 12:54

CABs are "lost" regularly and come down on the heads of Russians.

The military of the Russian occupation army is massively using corrected aerial bombs (CAB) for strikes on the frontline regions of Ukraine. However, it is not uncommon for enemy aircraft to "lose" ammunition on Russian territory.

This was reported by the British Ministry of Defense with reference to its intelligence data. It noted that such cases arise due to a combination of deficiencies in the preparation of aircraft armament before flights and improper performance by crews of their tasks during missions.

CABs are falling on Russian regions and occupied territories of Ukraine

According to the UK Defense Ministry, citing an independent Russian media outlet, Russian forces have dropped 25 bombs on their own territory and on occupied areas of Ukraine since the beginning of 2026. For comparison, 143 such incidents were recorded in 2025, and 165 in 2024.

At the same time, on May 16, 2026, one of the KABs hit a residential house in the village of Dubovoye in Russia's Belgorod region, resulting in the death of a person.

Causes of "emergency" drops of Russian bombs

The British defense establishment noted that Russian aviation makes more than 200 sorties against Ukraine every day and uses an average of 180-250 aerial bombs depending on weather conditions.

Similar incidents highlight systemic errors in the use of weapons that have devastating consequences, including for Russian civilians.

"Such incidents are likely to occur due to a combination of poor procedures for arming aircraft prior to sorties and poor crew performance during missions. The frequency of these incidents likely demonstrates a degree of fatigue among air and ground crews in the Russian forces, as well as evidence of insufficient military training," the report said.