Ukraine’s 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade has used low-cost first-person-view drones to destroy two bridges inside Russia’s Belgorod region. The attack, which targeted Russian munitions stashed under the bridges, has provided a high-profile example of how small and cheap drones are becoming on the war in Ukraine.

In a Facebook post, the 58th Brigade said the bridges, which spanned the Seversky Donets river in Russia’s Belgorod region, were used to store mines and ammunition. Video footage of the attack showed an FPV drone approach one of the bridges before suddenly exploding in a large blast, setting the munitions under the bridge on fire.

The brigade later deployed a second drone to detonate another large ammunition depot under a different bridge nearby.

The 58th Brigade said it first noticed the munitions stash after a drone surveying the area “noticed something in the shadows.” Standard reconnaissance drones could not be used to get a better look because of signal issues under the bridge. So a camera drone fitted with fiber optics was sent to investigate.

It was a “total success,” the brigade’s deputy commander, Andriy Dymsky, said in a video. “We saw the mines, and we struck.”

The exact size and composition of the munitions depots has not been disclosed, but Dymsky said “a lot of mines were destroyed.”

Cost-Effective Drones

According to the brigade, each drone cost between 25,000 and 30,000 Ukrainian hryvnias (about $600–$725). In contrast, high-end missile and bomb strikes on targets like bridges would have required Western-supplied munitions or guided missiles.

For example, Ukraine has used U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket launchers to strike infrastructure targets inside the Russian border region of Kursk. A HIMARS launcher system costs millions of dollars, and each rocket costs in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Two drones would have been roughly equivalent to the cost of a modern smartphone. But unlike missiles and bombs, they could be used repeatedly and modified for a variety of tasks.

Remote Sensing

CNN geolocated the bridge in the Belgorod region of Russia, just across the border with Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Ukrainian officials said the depots under the bridges had been used by the Russian military as supply points for munitions and other equipment bound for units operating near the frontline.

It was a familiar ploy. In February 2022, as Russian forces advanced on Kyiv in the early days of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine destroyed several bridges in the city’s vicinity to slow their advance.

Using Drones to Hit at Russian Airfields

The Belgorod strikes are the latest example of Ukraine using small drones to hit at Russian military facilities. In June, Ukraine carried out drone strikes on Russian military airfields with aircraft smuggled close to the facilities in order to avoid detection.

Military analyst Mykola Bielieskov said that “operations like this show how even basic technology can have an outsized effect when used in a clever way.” Drones have become a way for Ukraine to extend its strike power beyond the frontline without using its limited supplies of Western munitions.

But while cheap and easy to use, they also have limited range and carrying capacity. So the Belgorod bridge strike is a rare example of drones being used against deep inside Russian territory.

Strategic Bombing or Tactical Ingenuity?

The new video comes at a time when Russian forces have been making steady gains in eastern Ukraine, while continuing to hit Ukrainian cities with near-daily missile and drone strikes. Putin has also made it clear that he has no intention of halting the war or holding peace talks, while Russian forces have been reportedly massing at the frontlines for renewed assaults.

Kyiv has responded to the new Russian drive in a number of ways. Ukrainian forces have attempted to shift supply lines to resupply embattled positions in the east.

Moscow, for its part, has repeatedly pounded Kharkiv with missiles, while also moving forces into the city to provide more reinforcements. The strikes on the bridges in Belgorod region provide a rare example of Ukraine inflicting a setback on Russia.

Russian Air Strikes Continue on Ukraine’s Kharkiv Region, Disrupting Daily Life

According to Ukrainian officials, both bridges were set up with explosives by the Russian military and mined to prevent a Ukrainian attack from the other side of the border. It is not known when the bridges were destroyed or if their loss has so far caused any problems for Russian forces operating near the frontline.

Russia’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, analysts said the loss of the bridges would have some impact on Moscow’s logistics in the Belgorod region.

Finding Creative Solutions

“The strikes will hinder the movement of troops, equipment and logistics in Russia’s Belgorod region,” said the military analyst Mykola Bielieskov.

Military analyst Serhiy Sosnovy also noted that the destruction of the bridges represented a rare propaganda victory for Ukraine, “something the Russian army is very sensitive to.” Russia rarely comments on Ukrainian strikes in Russia, making it difficult to gauge the impact.

Ukraine’s strikes on the bridges come as it grapples with a Russian military offensive in eastern Ukraine. As a result, it has had to find creative solutions to overcome the military challenges. FPV drones are one of the most successful such innovations.

Built in Ukraine

Drones were first used by Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The devices are often built from commercial parts and drone kits smuggled from Western countries by volunteer teams.

Videos of them in action released by Ukraine’s military in the past year include attacks on Russian command posts, artillery, tanks, and enemy positions in trenches. “It is one of the main weapons now, it cannot be overestimated,” the 58th Brigade deputy commander said.