Russia announced today that it shot down a US-made "smart bomb" fired by Ukrainian forces. This is the first time Moscow has claimed to have shot down a type of weapon that allows Ukraine to hit long-range targets.

The Russian statement said air defenses shot down the GLSDB missile, but did not specify where it happened. Wider use of the GLSDB would expose Russian supply lines in eastern Ukraine to fierce attacks and force Moscow to move them away from the front lines.

The GLSDB missile is launched from a rocket system and then, with satellite guidance, hovers silently towards the target, which can be up to 150 kilometers away.

Ukraine has long sought weapons that could target Russian command centers, supply lines and other targets behind enemy lines. The GLSDB can be launched from the HIMARS missile launchers that the US has already delivered to Ukraine.