Ukraine carried out an airstrike targeting Russia’s drone control and communication hub in Vovchansk. A video circulating on social media shows a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet dropping a 500-pound (226 kg) precision glide bomb (JDAM-ER) on a Russian drone team that was hiding in the upper floors of a grain elevator. The video, widely shared on X, begins with a view of the grain elevator. Moments later, the Su-27 swoops in from high altitude and releases the bomb on the top floors. The strike causes a powerful explosion, sending debris and smoke high into the air. The bomb used was a GBU-62 fitted with a JDAM-ER kit, which has also been modified to work with older Soviet MiG-29 jets in Ukraine, according to local reports.
The GBU-62 is a 500-pound bomb built from the regular Mk-82. It has been upgraded with a JDAM GPS/INS guidance system, which allows it to guide itself to the target using satellite signals and internal navigation.
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How the ER Glide Module Helps
With the ER glide kit attached, the bomb can glide long distances instead of dropping straight down. This allows the aircraft to release the bomb from far away, keeping it safer and farther from enemy positions. A day before the explosion, Ukraine’s Azov 1st Corps, part of the National Guard, reported that its drone operators destroyed a Russian MTU-72 armored bridgelayer in Donetsk.
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The MTU-72 is a special Russian engineering vehicle that helps tanks and other military vehicles cross rivers, trenches, and other obstacles. By destroying it, Ukrainian forces stopped Russian troops and armored vehicles from moving forward across these barriers.
Drone Footage Shows Heavy Destruction in Myrnohrad
Exclusive drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows that Myrnohrad, a Ukrainian town, has suffered major damage and is now almost surrounded by Russian forces. Many streets and buildings appear destroyed or severely damaged.
"They are trying to simply erase the (town) from the face of the Earth," said Oleksii Hodzenko, press officer of the drone battalion of the 38th Marine Brigade. Ukraine’s eastern military command said it is using ground-robot drones to send essential supplies, such as food and water, to the troops who are still holding their positions in Myrnohrad.