LUGANSK, February 4. /TASS/. Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB) Washington plans to supply to Kiev have a low velocity and can easily be downed by air defense systems deployed in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), Andrey Marochko, a retired colonel of the LPR People’s Militia, told TASS on Friday.

"GLSDB’s flight velocity is much lower than, say, that of type M31 HIMSARS rockets Ukraine is now receiving. Hence, our air defense systems will have more time to target and hit them," he said, adding that there is no official data about GLSDB rockets’ range while open sources provide varying information. "Some sources say these rockets can fly to a distance of up to 150 kilometers, but there is no official verification. Many say the range is 130 kilometers," he said.

He stressed that reports about such supplies "will nor change the situation at the combat engagement line," since these munitions will be supplied to the Ukrainian army not earlier than mid-autumn. "I am not sure that the Ukrainian army will be in a position it is today. Our successful offensive actions indicate that before these munitions reach troops our forces will push the enemy back from the combat engagement line and people in the LPR will be in safety on the entire republic’s territory," Marochko added.

Pentagon Press Secretary Patrick Ryder told reporters earlier on Friday that that hat the new package of US military aid to Ukraine will include Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB). According to the Wall Street Journal, the 113-kilogram bomb with a rocket engine can be fired from a HIMARS multiple rocket launcher. However, Bloomberg said citing sources that it will take around nine months to supply Kiev with GLSDB rockets.

According to experts polled by Reuters, such bombs will force the Russian command to change the tactic and deploy major facilities at a longer distance from the combat engagement line.