Ukrainian forces destroyed two bridges inside Russia’s Belgorod region in a surprise attack that showcased the effectiveness of low-cost, first-person-view (FPV) drones on the modern battlefield.

The strikes by the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade targeted caches of mines and ammunition left by Russian forces under the bridges near the border with Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. “It became clear that something was going on there,” a unit representative told CNN. “We saw the mines, and we struck.”

Local Ukrainian officials said the two bridges had been key supply routes for the Russian troops deployed near the frontline. Russian military had mined the structures in anticipation of a Ukrainian attack, preparing to blow them up if needed.

Destroying bridges to hamper the enemy’s advance is not an uncommon defensive move. In February 2022, the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine destroyed several bridges that led toward Kyiv to slow the Russian advance. Now it appears Ukraine has used the same tactic against Russia.

The 58th Brigade said it became suspicious after noticing increased activity at one of the bridges. “Something was being set up and there was a suspicious smell,” the unit representative told CNN. “We realized there was something hidden, but we did not have a direct line of sight under the bridge.”

Standard reconnaissance drones could not get under the structure without losing signal. The brigade resorted to a FPV drone equipped with fiber optics to check the situation under the bridge. The drone quickly found a large cache of anti-tank mines and ammunition, confirming its suspicions.

“(We) saw an opportunity and took it,” the brigade said in a post. Minutes later, a drone flew to the bridge and detonated in a huge explosion, destroying the ammo cache.

A second camera, placed on the other side of the bridge, captured the blast from afar. CNN geolocated the bridge to the Belgorod region of Russia, just across the border with Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.

The unit repeated the successful attack on a second bridge in the area, finding it also mined and triggering another explosion. “We used two drones, which means a hit of at least 50,000 hryvnias [$600; £475], which is peanuts for our country,” the brigade said. “We would like to thank all the volunteers who help create these drones.”

The drone strikes were remarkable not only for their daring but also for their cost. The two drones Ukraine used cost between 25,000 and 30,000 Ukrainian hryvnias, or around $600–$725.

Destroying bridges inside Russia would normally require costly guided missiles or precision bombs. For example, Ukraine has often used U.S.-supplied HIMARS systems to target infrastructure deep inside Russia’s Kursk region. The HIMARS launchers cost several million dollars each, while individual rockets are tens of thousands apiece.

In contrast, the Belgorod bridges were taken out with drones costing less than a smartphone. FPV drones can cost even less when assembled from commercial parts and modified by volunteers at home.

Such drones are becoming a hallmark of the war for their ability to make cheap surveillance and strike deep inside enemy territory, without requiring the use of scarce Western-supplied munitions.

Ukraine has used FPV drones for maximum effect before. In June, Kyiv resorted to small drones smuggled within firing range of Russian military airfields to destroy or damage dozens of aircraft.

These types of operations show how even modest technology can achieve outsized results when used creatively,” said military analyst Mykola Bielieskov. Drones give Ukraine a chance to fight on a cost-effective level to offset Russia’s larger arsenal.

Win despite the odds

The Belgorod bridge attack comes as Ukraine is facing renewed pressure on the frontlines. Russian troops have been grinding forward in eastern Ukraine, while Moscow has continued a campaign of near-daily missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities.

Putin has also once again rejected any talk of a ceasefire, insisting on continuing the offensive. Against this backdrop, the bridge story was good news indeed for Kyiv.

Russia has not yet commented on the bridge attacks. However, the closure of the bridges in Belgorod region will make logistics more difficult, limiting supply lines to the Russian troops near the Ukrainian border.

For Ukraine’s military, the story illustrates a broader truth of the war: in the face of massive challenges, innovation is essential for survival. Lacking Western supplies and outgunned in Russian numbers, Kyiv has been forced to improvise, using a mix of commercial, homemade, or refurbished weapons to fight the conflict.

FPV drones have been among Ukraine’s most effective weapons, often assembled with commercial parts and modified by civilian volunteers at home.

“The value of these drones cannot be overstated,” the 58th Brigade representative said. “We are able to achieve what would otherwise require weapons that we don’t have.”

As the war grinds on, Ukraine’s creativity and ability to hit back at targets inside Russia may be its best hope for countering Moscow’s battlefield advantages. For now, two destroyed bridges in Belgorod serve as a reminder that even small, inexpensive weapons can make a strategic difference.