Ukrainian Armed Forces (AAF)’s 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade blew up two bridges in Russia’s Belgorod region in what analysts have called a demonstration of the effectiveness of relatively inexpensive first-person-view (FPV) drones on the battlefield. The Russian assets were reportedly being used to store up ammunition and mines under their cover when the two explosions struck last week, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed in a press release.

Cheap Drone ‘Demonstrated Capability’

The two bridges near the border with Kharkiv region were “used for resupplying Russian forces operating along the contact line,” MoD said, claiming that the bridges were mined by Russian forces in case of a rapid Ukrainian advance.

CNN geolocated one of the bridges and confirmed it was located in the Belgorod region. The Kremlin has not yet commented on the destruction of the two bridges. A second bridge was also destroyed in a “mirror” operation. The 58th Brigade said that it spotted unusual activities near the first bridge, suggesting a large ammunition dump there.

“The situation developed in such a way that it became clear that something was going on there,” brigade representative Kseniia Koval told CNN. The Russian mines underneath the bridge meant that it could not use regular reconnaissance drones under the structure, but the brigade used a military-grade FPV drone instead. Such drones are controlled using a video feed from a camera mounted on the drone, and often use fiber optics to allow operators to see what the drone sees.

Russian Supply Routes Targeted

Koval said the drone had revealed “significant” amounts of anti-tank mines and ammunition, as well as other explosives. “We saw the mines, and we struck,” she added. Footage from the 58th Brigade showed the FPV drone flying along the side of the bridge before a massive blast enveloped the camera. A second camera, presumably on the bridge, shows the explosion from a distance.

It then noted that the unit “investigated another bridge nearby and found it mined, as well.” A second drone was used, which led to another explosion. Koval also described a sense of opportunism to the operation, with the 58th Brigade striking “when we saw an opportunity and took it.”

Asymmetric Blow

The two attacks are significant because they were successful, but also because of the means used. The cost of the drones was between 25,000 and 30,000 Ukrainian hryvnias (UAH), or between $600 and $725 each. In contrast, an attack on a target far inside Russian territory is usually the domain of more expensive missiles or precision-guided bombs.

For instance, Ukraine has regularly used U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to attack infrastructure in Kursk region, the closest Russian equivalent to Belgorod. Each HIMARS launcher system is millions of dollars, with the rockets themselves in the tens of thousands of U.S. dollars each. The 58th Brigade’s attacks were achieved with drones that cost less than a smartphone.

FPV drones have played an increasingly important role in the war since then. In June, Ukraine used drones smuggled on drones on people to attack Russian military airfields, damaging dozens of aircraft.

“Their relative low cost makes these drones particularly cost-effective for Ukraine given their limitations in high-end munitions,” Mykola Bielieskov, a military analyst focused on Ukraine, told CNN. The strikes, which appear to have cost around $1,500 apiece for both drones and ammunition, show how low-tech approaches can be as effective as costly equipment, he added.

Good News

The destruction of the bridges comes at a time when Ukraine is facing heavy fighting along the frontlines in the east, where Russian forces have been making slow but steady gains. Moscow has also been able to maintain a steady pace of missile and drone strikes against cities across Ukraine, with both the air force and Wagner mercenaries leading the campaign in recent days.

President Vladimir Putin has also reiterated his willingness to keep the offensive going, ruling out any ceasefire agreement. Such grim news has made the news from Belgorod a welcome change for the government in Kyiv.

Russia to Complicate Logistics

Russia’s logistics in the Belgorod region will be affected as a result. Two bridges are crucial supply routes for Russian forces stationed in the southern part of the region near the Kharkiv region.

Innovation Is Vital

The attacks by the 58th Brigade highlight an aspect of the war that has become increasingly prevalent: the need for ingenuity. In the face of limited Western supplies, a numerically superior Russian army, and materiel shortages, Ukrainian forces have been increasingly inventive.

Modest FPV drones, often built from commercial drones and modified by volunteers, have become one of Ukraine’s most potent asymmetric weapons. “The value of these drones cannot be overstated,” Koval said. The result is that for a relatively low price, Ukraine can “achieve results that we would have to spend far more money to get with weapons we do not have.” That adaptability and innovation, along with strike weapons for destroying assets deep inside Russia, may become even more important as the war drags on.