- calendar_today September 1, 2025
Ukraine’s 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade has just confirmed that it destroyed two bridges in Russia’s Belgorod region in a strike using cheap first-person-view (FPV) drones. The mission, which saw Ukrainian forces decimate weapons stockpiles on the Russian side of the border, is an example of how affordable drones have taken hold on the modern battlefield.
Hidden Ammo Stashes in Belgorod Region
The bridges in question were used by the Russian military to store supplies of mines and ammunition that had been mined and readied for detonation by the Kremlin’s forces.
“The enemy had mined them in case of our attack, which didn’t allow our drones to approach and inspect from above,” a spokesperson for the brigade said in a statement.
It’s not the first time that Ukraine has destroyed bridges across the frontline to slow a Russian offensive. In February 2022, Ukraine began its full-scale invasion and destroyed several bridges near Kyiv as the Kremlin’s forces advanced on the capital. Now, it seems, Ukrainian forces have used that same tactic to strike at Russia.
Mission Supported by Unique Drone
On this occasion, the 58th Brigade claimed to have spotted a buildup of ammunition and equipment on one of the bridges and said it had deployed an FPV drone to investigate.
“We saw a significant amount of mines hidden under the bridge, anti-tank mines in particular, which were clearly not there a week ago,” the brigade representative said. “We saw the mines and we struck.”
CNN geolocated video of the strike to Russia’s Belgorod region, across the border from Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
The cost of the mission is another striking detail about the bridge strikes. The FPV drones used are a low-cost variant and retail for between 25,000 and 30,000 Ukrainian hryvnias ($600–$725), the brigade said.
Compare that with other weapons used by Ukraine to strike Russian targets. On Thursday, for example, Kyiv used U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket systems to destroy an air defense missile system in Russia’s Kursk region.
A single HIMARS launcher can cost millions, and the rockets themselves are tens of thousands of dollars each. The FPV drones used to destroy the bridges were each less expensive than a smartphone.
Reshaping Battlefields with Drones
In recent months, FPV drones have been used by Ukrainian forces in increasingly imaginative ways to exploit weaknesses in Russia’s defenses.
In June, for example, Ukrainian forces smuggled small drones to within yards of Russia’s military airfields and used them to destroy or damage dozens of Russian aircraft on the ground.
“The reason why FPV drones have proven so devastating in Ukraine is that they give the defenders a much larger weapon to work with. Their reach, relative to their cost, is phenomenal,” military analyst Mykola Bielieskov told CNN earlier this year.
This week’s bridge strikes in the Belgorod region offer a case study in how creative use of even small and inexpensive systems is reshaping the battlefield.
In June, the region was the site of another drone attack when a swarm of Russian drones attempted to hit Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. Ukrainian forces were forced to scramble to try to intercept the attack but appeared to suffer losses when they accidentally shot down one of their own drones.
Two Bridges Down, One to Go
Russia’s military did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment on the latest bridge attacks. The Kremlin’s forces will be left reeling by the loss of the bridges, which will likely disrupt logistics along its Belgorod border with Ukraine.
Innovation Is Key
On a broader level, the Belgorod strikes are another illustration of how Ukraine has been forced to adapt and improvise in the face of overwhelming odds. Small drones built with civilian parts and put together by volunteers have been one of Ukraine’s most useful innovations in recent months. Drones have given Kyiv a way to strike deeply and accurately into Russia with little in the way of Western munitions.
“In our unit, we don’t have such resources, so we had to develop and put in time and thought,” the 58th Brigade representative said of the Belgorod strike. “I don’t want to say it’s crucial to the defense of Ukraine. But when the resources are minimal and the adversary is maximal, they do an extremely valuable job.”
