Ukraine’s 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade scored a significant technical victory this week, destroying two bridges in Russia’s Belgorod region in a two-pronged attack which showcased the military efficacy of first-person-view (FPV) drones.

On Tuesday, the unit used FPV drones to spot large caches of Russian mines and ammunition hidden under the bridges. When its cameras picked up on the munitions, one of the drones detonated, killing its pilot and wiping out the weapons stores. A second drone was then used to destroy a second bridge in the region.

Footage of the strikes released by the brigade shows the drones approaching their targets, searching under the bridges for signs of enemy weaponry, and finally exploding with massive force.

What Was the Target?

According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, the bridges targeted by the unit spanned the Oskol River near the border with Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Russian troops had mined the bridges themselves, laying explosives in readiness for the two sides to detonate them in the event of an unexpected Ukrainian advance.

A Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesperson confirmed the strikes to CNN, saying that, prior to being destroyed, the bridges had been used to ferry ammunition and supplies to Russian troops. The Russian military had prepared to blow up the bridges themselves, the ministry said, in case of a Ukrainian attack.

CNN geolocated the drone footage to Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. It is unclear which of two bridges shown in the videos was targeted in each strike.

FPV drones are relatively cheap, with the models used in the strikes estimated by the Ukrainian military to cost between 25,000 and 30,000 Ukrainian hryvnias (equivalent to roughly $600–$725). This makes them a much cheaper option for Ukrainian forces than, say, the HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems the US and other countries have supplied to Ukraine in large numbers.

Ukraine has previously used the systems to hit supply lines and other military infrastructure in Russia’s Kursk region, hundreds of miles from the frontlines. Each HIMARS launcher system costs millions of dollars to buy. Rockets cost tens of thousands of dollars each.

FPV Drones on the Rise

The cost-effectiveness of the drones used to destroy the bridges in Belgorod is a key part of their value to the Ukrainian military. The devices have recently found favor with Kyiv as a way to strike deep inside Russian territory without expending the more scarce Western-supplied ammunition.

In June, for example, Ukrainian forces used small drones smuggled into Russia to hit military airfields and either destroy or damage dozens of aircraft.

The drones “represent a gamechanger for Ukraine”, military analyst Mykola Bielieskov told CNN. “This is a new paradigm shift because, rather than simply amassing more ammo, Ukraine is now coming up with different, asymmetric tools to make up for the balance on the battlefield”.

The Belgorod attack comes amid some of the most challenging days for Ukrainian forces along the frontlines. Russian troops have been slowly but steadily grinding forward in the east, while the country’s cities have faced near-daily drone and missile attacks from Russia.

Putin Has Ruled Out Ceasefire

Moscow, for its part, has continued its campaign of violence across the country, while President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly played down the idea of a ceasefire. In recent weeks, he has made clear that Russian forces will keep attacking until the “voluntarily of the Ukrainian people” is broken.

The Ukrainian military offered a sober assessment of the situation in a series of Tuesday briefings, with military spokesman Vladyslav Selezniov saying simply that the frontlines had seen “significant shelling”. While the strikes on the Belgorod bridges did not change the broader battlefield picture, they did provide a rare bright spot for Ukraine.

Russia, for its part, has not yet publicly acknowledged the strikes, although it is likely the loss of the bridges will at least complicate logistics for the Russian military in the Belgorod region.

The two sides’ recent focus on fighting one another in the open, as opposed to laying mines or planting sabotage groups, may have created space for Ukraine’s drone strikes. Russia and Ukraine have also not returned fire on drone attacks in the past, seemingly in recognition of their limited offensive value.

Worse Could Be Coming

The battle for Ukraine’s long frontlines will likely grow in ferocity in the coming weeks as both sides bid to improve their position. On Wednesday, the Ukrainian military offered a bleak assessment, saying the intensity of Russian missile and drone attacks had left critical infrastructure in a “precarious state”.

Innovation is key for Ukraine, which is often forced to improvise in the face of Russia’s numerical advantage on the ground and limited Western supplies. FPV drones are one part of the equation, with scores of them manufactured, modified, and donated by volunteers.

“The drones’ value (to the military) cannot be overestimated, as they have made it possible to achieve what was at one time only possible by expensive weapons systems not in our arsenal,” the 58th Brigade spokesperson said.

For now, the images of two destroyed bridges in Belgorod show that even humble weapons have a place on today’s battlefields.