Ukrainian Su-27 Strikes Russian Pontoon in Kursk With US-Made GBU-39 Glide Bombs

New video on Ukrainian social media shows a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet striking a pontoon ferry in Russia’s Kursk Oblast using a US-made GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), a lightweight, high-precision cruise bomb.

The video was published by the Telegram channel “Soniah” [Sunflower], which is a channel run by Ukrainian Air Force personnel who share frontline footage and experiences.

“Aviation continues to operate in all directions. The Su-27 destroyed a pontoon crossing in Kursk Oblast using a GBU-39,” reads the post from Wednesday, April 16.

The time and location of the video could not be independently verified by Kyiv Post.

The post claims that the Su-27 crew destroyed two pontoons in one sortie – the second located just a few kilometers away. After the bombing, the area was reportedly struck again using an M142 HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system.

“In this mission, the crew destroyed two pontoon crossings at once… and then HIMARS finished the job,” the post says.

While the exact location was not disclosed, the likely target was a crossing over either the Seim or Psel Rivers, according to the Ukrainian defense publication Militarniy.

The strike reportedly occurred sometime between March 20 and 24. Despite poor video quality from the drone footage, vehicles can be seen crossing the pontoon at the time of impact.

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Russian sources shared video footage of the aftermath, which was earlier reposted by the “Soniah” Telegram channel.

In it, a Russian serviceman with a Caucasian accent is heard complaining: “I told them ten times not to drive cars here.” The camera pans across two destroyed vehicles, presumed beyond repair. Their crews are likely dead, though “Soniah” claimed, “Ps: no one was injured.”

The GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) is a US lightweight, high-precision cruise bomb with a maximum range of 110 kilometers (68 miles) and a mass of 129 kilograms (284 pounds) Its narrow 19-centimeter (7.5-inch) diameter and compact design allow it to be mounted externally or stored internally in fighter jets.

In May 2024, Ukraine confirmed the adaptation of its MiG-29s to carry the GBU-39, with each jet able to hold up to eight bombs on BRU-61 pylons.

According to The Washington Post, the GBU-39 has a hit rate of around 90%, outperforming the Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), which has struggled against Russian electronic warfare.

Confirmed uses of the GBU-39 in 2025 include:

• March 25: A bombing strike on a Russian checkpoint in Tyotkino, Kursk Oblast.

• April 8: An airstrike on Russian personnel in Hoptarivka, also in Kursk Oblast, using three GBU-39s.