In mid-February 2025, Ukraine carried out a rare and bold mission, its Su-27 fighter jets bombed a Russian military base inside Russia. The strike targeted a site near Yelyzavetivka in Russia’s Kursk region, which Kyiv said was being used to launch drone attacks on the nearby Sumy region in northern Ukraine. These cross-border raids had long troubled local civilians, damaging power lines and infrastructure.
Ukrainian officials described the airstrike as an act of self-defense, saying they would continue similar missions if Russian forces kept using positions near the border to strike Ukrainian territory. This marked a major shift in how Ukraine conducts the war, as it had previously avoided using manned aircraft for attacks inside Russia. The operation showed how the conflict has expanded beyond front-line trenches into battles over drone sites, logistics hubs, and military infrastructure far from the main fighting.
Pressure Along the Border
Throughout 2024 and early 2025, Russia had used small, low-cost drones launched from its border regions, including Kursk to target Ukraine’s nearby Sumy region. These drones hit electrical systems, warehouses, and small towns only a few kilometers from the frontier. Although cheap for Russia, they forced Ukraine to use expensive air defense missiles to protect its border communities, draining much-needed resources from other parts of the front.
Kyiv grew increasingly frustrated that Russian troops could attack from positions inside their own territory with little risk of retaliation. The airstrike on Yelyzavetivka sent a clear message that Ukraine would no longer tolerate such a one-sided situation. The operation also fit into a larger Ukrainian campaign to hit high-value Russian targets deeper inside the country, from oil depots and ammunition dumps to airfields. Using a mix of long-range drones and repurposed missiles, Ukraine has proven capable of reaching far beyond the front lines.
Western Weapons Take on a New Role
This strike in the Kursk region also reflected shifting rules on how Ukraine can use weapons provided by Western allies. For much of the war, countries like the United States and members of the European Union limited Ukraine’s use of their advanced systems to targets within Ukrainian territory. However, as Russia continued its drone and missile assaults, some of those restrictions began to soften.
One of the key technologies involved is the American-made JDAM-ER, a kit that turns a regular, unguided bomb into a precision “glide bomb” capable of striking targets over 60 kilometers away. Integrating these into older Soviet-designed Ukrainian aircraft took months of engineering, as technicians had to adapt the Western guidance systems to the jets’ existing wiring and control panels. Once fitted, the modified bombs gave Ukraine’s air force the capability to carry out accurate long-range attacks while reducing the risk to pilots from Russian air defenses.
What made the Yelyzavetivka operation particularly notable was that analysts confirmed it was the first known use of 1,000-pound JDAM-ER bombs in combat. These heavier bombs, adapted from U.S. Mark 83 models, create far greater destruction than the earlier 500-pound versions. Satellite photos released after the strike showed multiple large craters and burnt-out structures, indicating heavy damage to the Russian military site. Ukrainian sources said the facility, which had been used by drone operators from the Russian 28th Rifle Battalion, was effectively destroyed.
A Signal About the Future of the War
Ukraine’s military called the bombing a “high-precision strike” meant to protect civilians, emphasizing that it targeted an active military base used for ongoing attacks. Officials said that Russia should expect consequences whenever its forces threaten Ukrainian towns along the border. The statement reflected Kyiv’s growing confidence in its ability to hit back across the frontier while still maintaining that its actions are defensive, not escalatory.
Experts say the use of large, U.S.-linked bombs on Russian territory reflects how the war is entering a new stage, one defined by range, technology, and blurred red lines. Up to this point, most strikes inside Russia were carried out using Ukrainian-made weapons, allowing Western partners to maintain political distance. But by launching JDAM-ER munitions from Su-27s, Ukraine has signaled that Western technology is now part of its expanding deep-strike campaign.
For Russia, the loss of the Yelyzavetivka base means it will have to move drone units farther from the border or spread them out to avoid similar attacks. That could make coordination harder and lengthen flight paths for drone raids on Ukraine. Strategically, the attack pressures Moscow to boost air defenses across its rear areas, which could weaken protection along the main battle lines.
For Ukraine, this successful strike represents more than a tactical win, it shows that Kyiv can adapt Western and homegrown technology to challenge Russian operations anywhere they pose a threat. Whether Ukraine continues using heavy JDAM-ER bombs regularly, or keeps such missions limited, remains to be seen. What is clear is that the line separating the front and rear of this war is growing thinner, and the fight is now reaching deeper into Russian territory than ever before.
Sources
Euromaidan Press, Ukraine becomes first to use 1000-pound JDAM-ER guided bombs, 3 February 2025
The War Zone, JDAM-ER Winged Bombs With Seekers That Home In On GPS Jammers Headed To Ukraine, 2 May 2024
U.S. Department of Defense, Precision Aerial Munitions for Ukraine (JDAM-ER announcement within $1.85 billion aid package), 3 March 2023
TurDef, Ukraine Admits Using US-supplied JDAM-ER Bombs, 2023
Jamestown Foundation, Ukraine Clears Up Airspace With Modernized Munitions, 16 July 2025