# Russian KAB Glide-Bombs and Geran-2 Drones Hit Villages South of Zaporizhzhia

*Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 4:05 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-10-24T04:05:53.382Z (3h ago)
**Category**: conflict | **Region**: Eastern Europe
**Importance**: 8/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/21360.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: Russian forces launched at least 18 KAB glide-bombs on the villages of Balabyne and Kushuhum and sent two Geran-2 drones toward the area of Zaporizhzhia’s Old City, pushing heavy strikes into communities just outside the regional center.

Russian forces carried out a heavy overnight strike on the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia City, using guided glide-bombs and drones against nearby villages and the area around the historic center.

According to reporting from the region, at least 18 KAB glide-bombs hit the villages of Balabyne and Kushuhum, which lie just south of Zaporizhzhia. Two Geran-2 drones also impacted in the vicinity of the city’s Old City. The scale of the strike marks a significant use of precision air-delivered weapons against settlements close to one of southern Ukraine’s main urban hubs.

KAB glide-bombs are released from aircraft at a distance and use guidance kits to steer onto their targets. Their large conventional warheads can damage a wide area when they explode near homes, roads, or infrastructure. Launching at least 18 of these munitions in one night against Balabyne and Kushuhum suggests an effort to batter communities in the city’s outer ring and test Ukrainian air defenses beyond the immediate front line.

The Geran-2 drones, which are one-way attack drones, add another element to this pressure by approaching at low altitude toward urban areas. Used together with glide-bombs, they complicate the task facing Ukrainian defenders, who must decide where to allocate limited interceptor missiles and radar coverage.

For residents of the villages south of Zaporizhzhia and for those living around the Old City, the pattern of strikes shows that proximity to the regional center offers limited protection from modern stand-off weapons. Areas that might once have been considered a rear zone now face repeated risks from bombs and drones launched tens of kilometers away.

On the military side, the attack highlights Moscow’s continued willingness to employ significant numbers of guided munitions around Zaporizhzhia. Keeping this wider area under threat can disrupt movement, strain local services, and force Ukraine to spread out its air-defense assets rather than concentrating them only over the city itself.

Key developments to track next are whether Russia maintains this level of KAB use around Zaporizhzhia, how Ukraine adapts its air defenses to protect surrounding villages, and whether similar heavy glide-bomb strikes appear around other major cities in the region.