MOSCOW, May 3. /TASS/. Russian air defense forces intercepted a US-made JDAM guided bomb over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Wednesday.

"During the last 24-hour period, air defense capabilities intercepted four HIMARS rockets and a US-made JDAM smart air bomb," the spokesman said.

Military-political expert and adviser to the acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Yan Gagin earlier said that the Ukrainian military had employed a US-made JDAM guided bomb in the area of the settlement of Kurdyumovka near Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine) in the DPR. Meanwhile, neither the Ukrainian authorities nor the Kiev regime’s troops have confirmed using the JDAM bomb so far.

The business news agency Bloomberg reported in late February, citing sources that the United States would send Ukraine modified JDAM ER (Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range) guidance kits based on the global positioning system that would make it possible to convert standard air-launched munitions into guided weapons. As Bloomberg specified, the GPS guidance kit is attached to an air bomb weighing from 226 kg to 907 kg and its wing assembly enables the munition to glide towards the target to a maximum range of 72 km.

Russian air defense forces also destroyed 16 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the past 24 hours in areas near the settlements of Podstepnoye in the Kherson Region, Olshany and Svatovo in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Sergeyevka, Volnovakha and Vasilyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Tavolzhanka in the Kharkov Region and Romashkovo in the Sumy Region, the general said.

Russian forces destroy 40 Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk area

Russian aircraft and artillery struck Ukrainian army units in the Kupyansk area, destroying about 40 enemy troops, two armored vehicles and a howitzer over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, aircraft and artillery of the western battlegroup struck the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Kamenka in the Kharkov Region. The enemy’s losses amounted to 40 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles and a D-30 howitzer," the spokesman said.

Russian forces eliminate over 50 Ukrainian troops, two howitzers in Krasny Liman area

Russian combat aircraft and artillery destroyed over 50 Ukrainian troops and two howitzers in the Krasny Liman area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery from the battlegroup Center inflicted damage on the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Nevskoye and Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

The strikes eliminated over 50 Ukrainian troops, an armored combat vehicle, three pickup trucks and also two Msta-B howitzers, the general specified.

Russian forces destroy over 385 Ukrainian troops, mercenaries in Donetsk advance

Russian forces destroyed over 385 Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries in their advance in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"The enemy’s losses amounted to over 385 Ukrainian personnel and mercenaries, a tank, four armored combat vehicles, four motor vehicles, D-20 and D-30 howitzers," the spokesman said.

Russian paratroopers immobilizing Ukrainian troops on flanks in battles for Artyomovsk

Russian paratroopers immobilized Ukrainian troops on the flanks in the battles for Artyomovsk over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, the assault teams conducted battles in the western part of the city of Artyomovsk. Airborne Force units are immobilizing the enemy forces on the flanks," the spokesman said.

Russian forces strike Ukrainian army units in two DPR areas

Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units in two populated areas in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Operational/tactical and army aviation, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems from the southern battlegroup struck the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Grigorovka and Bogdanovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroy over 70 Ukrainian troops in southern Donetsk, Zaporozhye areas

Russian forces destroyed over 70 Ukrainian troops and a Giatsint-B howitzer in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, aircraft and artillery from the battlegroup East struck the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Temirovka and Gulyaipole in the Zaporozhye Region, the spokesman specified.

"The enemy’s losses in those directions in the past 24 hours totaled over 70 Ukrainian troops, two armored combat vehicles, four motor vehicles and a Giatsint-B howitzer," the general said.

Russian forces destroy 40 Ukrainian troops in Kherson area

Russian forces destroyed roughly 40 Ukrainian troops and an artillery gun in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kherson direction, as many as 40 Ukrainian personnel, three motor vehicles, a Giatsint-B howitzer and an Akatsiya motorized artillery system were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted by firepower," the spokesman said.

Russian forces wipe out Ukrainian ammo depot in Sumy Region

Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian ammunition depot in the Sumy Region over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the settlement of Stepnogorsk in the Zaporozhye Region, a US-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar was destroyed. In the area of the settlement of Progress in the Sumy Region, a Ukrainian ammunition depot was obliterated," the spokesman said.

In the past 24 hours, operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 86 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 102 areas, the general reported.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 416 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 230 helicopters, 3,935 unmanned aerial vehicles, 421 anti-aircraft missile systems, 8,948 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,095 multiple rocket launchers, 4,717 field artillery guns and mortars and 9,928 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.