Ukraine’s military destroyed two bridges within Russia’s Belgorod region in a new display of how cheap, first-person-view (FPV) drones are altering the nature of the modern battlefield. The 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade used drones to attack caches of Russian mines and ammunition hidden under the bridges near the border with Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.

Bridges Were Used to Resupply Russians

The unit said the two bridges were resupply routes used by Russian forces near the frontline. The Russian military had mined the bridges as well, but also prepared them for demolition to slow Ukraine’s advance in the event of a sudden attack.

In fact, it had already happened. In February 2022, Ukraine destroyed several bridges on the road to Kyiv as Moscow’s full-scale invasion got underway to protect the capital and slow Moscow’s advance. Now, Ukraine appears to have used the same tactic against Russia.

“We suspected that they [the Russians] had mined it,” a 58th Brigade representative told CNN. As regular reconnaissance drones could not fly under the bridge without losing signal, the unit sent in an FPV drone with fiber optics instead.

Inside it found a “fairly large number of anti-tank mines” as well as ammunition stashed under the bridge. “We saw the mines and we struck,” the representative added.

Cheap, Effective Attack

Video footage the brigade released shows the drone approaching the bridge and spotting the hidden mines before detonating in an explosion. Nearby cameras caught the blast in a distance.

CNN geolocated the bridge to Russia’s Belgorod region across the border from Kharkiv. The unit said they immediately checked another bridge in the region and found it also was mined. They sent in a second drone which set off another huge blast.

“(We) saw an opportunity and took it,” the 58th Brigade said. The operation was a success, but it was also noteworthy for how cheap the unit’s drones were. The unit said they cost between 25,000 and 30,000 Ukrainian hryvnias, or around $600–$725 each.

Under normal circumstances, Ukraine would need expensive guided missiles or precision bombs to destroy bridges at such a distance. To hit infrastructure in Russia’s Kursk region, Ukraine has used U.S.-supplied HIMARS. A single launcher costs millions of dollars and the rockets can run tens of thousands of dollars each. In contrast, Belgorod was done with drones less expensive than a smartphone.

Drones Becoming Game-Changers

The successful operation demonstrated how low-cost drones are reshaping modern battlefields, allowing Ukraine to hit targets deep inside Russia without having to use up valuable Western-supplied munitions.

Kyiv has used FPV drones before to maximum effect. In June, Ukrainian forces used small drones smuggled up to Russian military airfields to destroy or damage dozens of Russian aircraft.

“These types of operations show how even fairly modest technology can have outsized results when used in a creative way,” Mykola Bielieskov, a military analyst, told CNN, pointing out that drones offer Ukraine a cheap way to counter Russia’s much larger arsenal.

Boost for Ukraine Amid Challenges

The destruction of the bridges comes as Ukraine is under pressure on the frontlines. Russian forces are grinding forward in eastern Ukraine and Moscow’s near-daily missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities show no sign of letting up.

Putin, meanwhile, continues to delay any discussion of a ceasefire. For Ukraine, which has already seen major advances forced back in parts of the south, the destruction of the Belgorod bridges was a rare piece of good news.

Russia has not officially commented on the attacks. The loss of two bridges will complicate Moscow’s logistics in the Belgorod region and disrupt supply routes to Russian troops near the Ukrainian border.

Creative Innovation

For Ukraine’s military, the Belgorod strikes were a reminder of a new reality of the war. Innovation is key to survival. With Western supplies limited and Russian forces enjoying numerical superiority, Kyiv has had to improvise to continue the fight. FPV drones, often made with commercial components and modified by volunteer techs, have become one of its most useful weapons.

“The drones are immeasurable, their price cannot be determined, their value cannot be overestimated,” the brigade representative said. “They are a serious tool that helps us achieve results that would otherwise require weapons that we do not have.”

As the war grinds on, Kyiv’s ability to adapt and continue to strike inside Russian territory will be critical to countering Moscow’s battlefield advantages. For now, the destruction of two bridges in Belgorod is a stark reminder that even the smallest and cheapest weapons can have a strategic impact.