Media: Ukraine Fires New Missile With A Range Of 550 Km For The First Time
- 27.08.2026, 20:14
- 4,246
The Ukrainian Armed Forces launched an attack on Russian forces in Donetsk.
Military analysis publication Defence Express reports that debris from strike on Russian targets in occupied Donetsk highly likely indicate Ukraine’s first use of the new JDAM-LR cruise missile with a range of up to 550 km. There is no official confirmation yet that such missiles have been transferred to Ukraine, but the publication provides a detailed analysis based on photos of the fragments found.
After the strikes, photos of debris from the impact sites began to appear online.
Based on the markings on one of the fragments, the Russians determined that one of the targets had been struck by Storm Shadow / SCALP missiles. However, other debris—remnants of wings and components attached to the fuselage—caught particular attention.
The code 6F8W7 was spotted on one of the fragments. Defence Express reports that it belongs to the Australian company Ferra Aerospace, which partners with Boeing and has been manufacturing wing kits for JDAM-ER guided bombs since the 2000s.
A standard JDAM-ER has a stated range of about 75 km. This is not enough to safely strike Donetsk from a Ukrainian aircraft without entering an extremely dangerous zone near the front line; therefore, some Russian sources have speculated that Ukraine may have used the new jet-powered JDAM-LR.
The JDAM-LR effectively transforms an air-dropped bomb into a cruise missile. Thanks to its jet engine, its stated range exceeds 300 nautical miles—about 555 km. This is more than enough to strike targets in Donetsk from a safe distance.
The JDAM-LR kit is mounted on a 500-pound Mk-82 aerial bomb weighing about 227 kg. According to Defence Express, such a warhead could have been sufficient to destroy a four-story factory building where, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian headquarters was located.
The JDAM-LR is guided using an inertial navigation system and GPS. Conventional JDAMs previously had issues with resistance to Russian electronic warfare systems, but the precise hits in Donetsk may indicate that these problems have been partially resolved in the new version.
In theory, the JDAM-LR can be launched from aircraft capable of deploying conventional JDAMs. In Ukraine, this includes not only the F-16 but also modernized MiG-29s and Su-27s.
If Ukraine has indeed received JDAM-LR—even in a small trial batch—Russian headquarters, warehouses, and command posts located hundreds of kilometers inland face a new threat. This weapon could become yet another means of exerting pressure on Russian military infrastructure, alongside Storm Shadow / SCALP, drones, and Ukrainian long-range developments.
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