Russian army fiasco as Putin's troops help Ukraine blow up key bridge

By John Varga, World News Reporter

Ukraine: Drone hits bridge used by Russian forces

Vladimir Putin's army inadvertently helped Ukrainian forces blow up a bridge in the Belgorod region of Russia. The transport link was located near the village of Novopetrovka and was used extensively by the Russian army to move troops and equipment in the border area.

Fearing the possibility of a repeat incursion by Ukraine's army, Russian forces had attached TM-62 anti-tank mines to the supporting pillars of the bridge. The idea was presumably to destroy the bridge should the territory be once again seized by enemy troops. However, the mines were discovered by Ukrainian scouts, enabling Zelensky's army to carry out a lethal attack.

A section of the bridge collapsed (Image: Defense of Ukraine/X)

The bridge explodes into flames (Image: Defense of Ukraine/X)

Soldiers from Ukraine's 3rd Heavy Mechanised Brigade used kamikaze drones to detonate the mines and blow up the bridge.

Ukraine's army later posted a video of the attack to its social media channels, where it was widely viewed.

Images from the FVP drone show it approaching the bridge's pillars, where the anti-tank mines were clearly visible. The drone then smashes into one of the mines, triggering a massive explosion which was filmed by a reconnaissance UAV hovering above.

A large orange flash can be seen, followed by plumes of thick smoke rising skywards from the location of the bridge. Further video footage shows that a large section of the bridge collapsed following the explosion.

Last August, Ukrainian troops launched a surprise lightning incursion into Russia's border region, seizing up to 1,250 square kilometres.

The attack forced the Kremlin to divert soldiers to the western region, where they battled for several months to drive back Kyiv's forces.

Russia deployed thousands of North Korean troops on its Kursk front, where they suffered heavy casualties.

Ukraine's army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said his forces were still operating in the Russian region.

"As of today, Ukrainian forces maintain a presence in the Glushkovo district of the Kursk region, tying down part of Russia's offensive grouping," he said.