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Ukraine destroyed two bridges inside Russia using USD 600 drones to strike hidden mine stashes, CNN reports. The cost-effective operation dealt a rare blow to Russian supply routes as frontline fighting intensifies.
Ukraine’s military says it destroyed two bridges inside Russia. (Photo: X)
UPDATED: Aug 30, 2025 06:56 IST
Ukraine says its forces have blown up two bridges in Russia’s Belgorod region, using low-cost drones to detonate hidden Russian stockpiles of mines and ammunition, CNN reported.
The strikes were carried out by the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, which said the bridges served as vital supply routes for Russian troops close to the Ukrainian border. Moscow’s forces had rigged the bridges with explosives so they could be demolished if Ukrainian units advanced.
Instead, Kyiv turned that plan against them. “We saw the mines, and we struck,” a brigade representative told CNN.
Footage shared by the unit shows a drone flying under one bridge, revealing a cache of anti-tank mines and ammunition covered with fabric. The drone then crashes into the pile, setting off a huge blast. A second drone later targeted another bridge that had also been mined.
“After that, we decided to check the other bridge. We found it was also mined and we struck,” the brigade member said. “(We) saw an opportunity and took it.”
According to the brigade, each drone costs only $600–$725, a fraction of the tens of thousands of dollars required for HIMARS rockets previously used against Russian bridges.
The strike gave Kyiv a rare boost at a time when its forces are under strain, with Putin pressing his offensive and Russian airstrikes pounding Ukrainian cities nearly every day. As Ukraine adapts to the demands of prolonged warfare, drone strikes have become central to its counteroffensive strategy, allowing it to target vital infrastructure far beyond the frontlines.
In June, Ukraine secretly moved 117 drones by truck and used them to strike four Russian air bases — including one as far as 2,500 miles away in Siberia. The raid, known as the “Spiderweb” operation, caused varying reports of damage. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed 40 Russian aircraft were hit, including more than a third of Russia’s cruise missile carriers. Ukraine’s security service estimated the losses at $7 billion. Some analysts and pro-Russian bloggers compared the strike to “Pearl Harbor,” the 1941 Japanese attack that pushed the US into World War II.
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Published By:
Aashish Vashistha
Published On:
Aug 30, 2025
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