Ukrainian forces have carried out an innovative drone operation aimed at destroying a strategic bridge controlled by Russian troops over the Dnieper River, in a campaign that officials say could shape the future of warfare, reports The Telegraph.
The mission, which took place at the beginning of last year but was only revealed now, involved a two-month campaign using British heavy transport drones, the Malloy T-150. The bridge, which crossed a branch of the Dnieper called Konka, represented an essential supply route for Russian forces launching attacks on the city of Kherson, under Ukrainian control.
Despite repeated attempts to destroy it with airstrikes and HIMARS rockets provided by the USA, the Ukrainian forces failed to bring it down. The task was ultimately entrusted to the 426th Unmanned Systems Regiment of the Ukrainian Marine Corps, a unit known for its innovations on the battlefield.
“Bridges are relatively easy to destroy from underneath,” said Colonel Oleksii Bulakhov, the regiment commander. “But they are designed to be extremely resistant from the outside.”
The challenge was passed on to the research and development team of the regiment, led by a lieutenant with the codename “Journalist”. Such teams have become essential in Ukraine’s war effort, rapidly adapting technology based on the swift developments on the front.
The decisive moment came when a Russian soldier unwittingly revealed the vulnerabilities of the bridge, posting a photo taken under its structure on Instagram. Using this information, the Ukrainian team came up with a new approach.