A Ukrainian SU 27 fighter jet has delivered a devastating blow to Russian occupying forces by dropping two United States-supplied GBU 62 bombs on a Russian command post near the volatile frontlines of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region. The pinpoint strike obliterated the building and wiped out assault units that had been gathering for over a day. The precision attack was part of an intensifying Ukrainian effort to blunt the latest Russian push in the region.
As of 3 May 2025, Vovchansk remains the epicentre of heavy clashes, with Ukrainian defenders repelling multiple attempted advances from the Russian side. The Vovcha River, now a natural defensive barrier, has repeatedly blocked Russian troops from penetrating further into the city. All attempts by Russian units to cross the river have been thwarted, inflicting significant personnel and equipment losses on the invaders.
Russian forces are increasingly relying on motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and buggies to navigate around Ukrainian artillery and drone-strike zones. The change, born out of the Kremlin’s growing shortage of armoured vehicles, has had mixed results. Ukrainian troops have swiftly adapted, neutralising mobile units before they can breach defensive lines.
One such incident occurred near Kupiansk, where Ukraine’s Border Guard Brigade “Pumpa” destroyed an entire Russian mobile assault group. Ten motorcycles, two ATVs, and eight enemy soldiers were eliminated in a single engagement. Russian forces have previously suffered similar defeats, such as in Vuhledar in 2024, when 19 motorcycles were destroyed in one skirmish.
Meanwhile, in the ghost town of occupied Bakhmut, Russian occupiers have absurdly staged Soviet-style May 9 festivities, hanging Russian and Soviet flags across bombed-out ruins, attempting to mask the devastation and emptiness of a city they themselves obliterated.
In response to unrelenting Russian aggression, President Volodymyr Zelensky has pushed for a rapid acceleration of Ukraine’s missile programme. At a recent staff meeting, he ordered the immediate expansion of ballistic missile production. Zelensky stated that war must be felt “where it came from,” and long-range Ukrainian capabilities are crucial for national security.
Ukraine’s missile programme has seen substantial progress. As early as 2022, several hundred million hryvnia were allocated to develop the domestic Sapson and Rim 2 systems. These include 900 millimetre missiles with a range of 500 kilometres and a 600 millimetre variant aimed at export markets. In August 2024, Zelensky confirmed the successful test of Ukraine’s first homegrown ballistic missile.
Now, in 2025, production levels have reached a scale that allows for regular deployment. Ukraine’s Neptune long-range missile programme has become a cornerstone of the country’s growing defence capabilities.
