Ukrainian forces 'used British drones to destroy Russian-held bridge' in first-of-its-kind operation

Published: 01:46, 7 April 2026 | Updated: 01:57, 7 April 2026 Ukrainian forces used British drones to destroy a crucial Russian-held bridge in the occupied Kherson region in a first-of-its-kind operation. The mission, which took place in March last year, is believed to be the first ever case of a drone led combat operation taking out a bridge. The crossing, over the Konka River, was repeatedly attacked by Malloy T-150 heavy-lift drones during a two-month campaign. The mission was initially deemed impossible but devastating blasts eventually exploded two sections of the bridge which crashed into the river, in a giant cloud of thick smoke. It largely degraded Vladimir Putin's army's ability to strike the besieged city of Kherson on the River Dnipro's right bank.  'Bridges are relatively easy to destroy from underneath,' Col Oleksii Bulakhov told the Telegraph.  'But they are engineered in a way that makes them extremely robust from the outside.' The T-150 drones are manufactured by Malloy Aeronautics, a subsidiary of British defence company BAE Systems. The crossing, over the Konka River, was repeatedly attack by Malloy T-150 heavy-lift drones during a two-month campaign  The mission, which took place in March last year, is believed to be the first ever case of a drone led combat operation taking out of a bridge They were not originally designed as a weapon, instead created for use as a flying motorcycle to herd cattle in the Australian outback.  But they proved vital in preventing Russian forces from further pummelling the Ukrainian city. The bridge had been earlier struck in the war but was still usable for military supplies until the drone attacks. The Konka is a tributary of the nearby Dnipro River, which served as a de facto border between Ukrainian and Russian controlled areas of Kherson region.  The strike was close to the occupied town of Oleshky and reportedly came as a 'complete shock' to the occupying Russians.  The drones are not the first British made weapons used in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The UK is developing powerful long-range ballistic missiles that can destroy Russian targets more than 300 miles away. Nightfall rockets - which are packed with 200kg warheads, can be fired in quick succession and reach as far as Moscow - could prove a valuable asset in Volodymyr Zelensky's ongoing fight against Putin's forces.  British firms have been sought by the Ministry of Defence to design, develop and deliver the first three test missiles in a contract worth £9million.  The T-150 drones are manufactured by Malloy Aeronautics, a subsidiary of British defence company BAE Systems Last month Russia rolled out a terrifying intercontinental missile for nuclear drills. Eerie images released by the defence ministry appear to show the missile being driven through a snow-covered forest in the dead of night, its launcher looming out of the darkness during the exercise. Crews practiced a range of activities during the drills in Siberia, involving camouflaged movements of Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. They also rehearsed responding to simulated enemy attacks and repelling air strikes, but the Defence Ministry did not report any launches. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.