Ukraine has reportedly managed to destroy two bridges located inside Russia’s Belgorod region by using relatively inexpensive drones, each priced at around 600 to 725 US dollars, according to a CNN report. These drones were directed at hidden Russian stockpiles of mines and ammunition, which Moscow’s forces had placed beneath the bridges to rig them for demolition in case of a Ukrainian advance. Instead of allowing Russia to use this plan against them, Kyiv successfully turned the strategy on its head.
The operation was conducted by Ukraine’s 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, which emphasized that the destroyed bridges played an important role in supplying Russian troops positioned close to the Ukrainian border. A representative of the brigade explained to CNN that once they identified the explosives hidden under the bridges, they chose to act swiftly: “We saw the mines, and we struck.”
Video evidence released by the Ukrainian unit shows a drone maneuvering underneath one of the bridges, capturing images of anti-tank mines and ammunition stockpiled and covered with cloth. The drone then deliberately crashed into the pile, triggering a massive detonation. Following this success, a second drone was used against another nearby bridge, which was also mined. “After that, we decided to check the other bridge. We found it was also mined, and we struck. We saw an opportunity and took it,” a brigade member explained.
What made this operation particularly significant was its cost-efficiency. Each drone used in the attack was relatively inexpensive compared to the HIMARS rockets that Ukraine had previously relied on to destroy Russian bridges, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars per rocket. This allowed Ukraine to deal a rare and effective blow to Russia’s supply lines without depleting its more expensive arsenal.
The timing of this success provided a much-needed morale boost for Kyiv, especially as Ukrainian forces continue to endure mounting pressure from Russian advances. With President Vladimir Putin intensifying his offensive and Russian airstrikes striking Ukrainian cities almost daily, Ukraine has increasingly turned to drones as a central element of its counteroffensive strategy. The low cost and long-range capability of drones enable Ukraine to reach critical targets deep inside Russian-controlled areas, disrupting vital infrastructure far beyond the immediate frontlines.
This tactic is not entirely new. Back in June, Ukraine secretly transported 117 drones by truck and carried out coordinated strikes on four Russian air bases, including one located in Siberia, nearly 2,500 miles away from Ukraine. That raid, dubbed the “Spiderweb” operation, generated widespread attention and led to conflicting reports about the extent of damage inflicted. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later claimed that the attack damaged or destroyed 40 Russian aircraft, including more than a third of Moscow’s cruise missile carriers. Ukraine’s security services estimated that the losses inflicted on Russia amounted to roughly 7 billion US dollars. The scale and boldness of the operation led some military analysts and even certain pro-Russian bloggers to draw parallels with the infamous 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which forced the United States into World War II.
Through these operations, Ukraine has demonstrated how innovation and adaptability, combined with relatively inexpensive technology, can alter the course of modern warfare by turning enemy strategies against them and striking critical infrastructure at a fraction of the cost of traditional weapons.
