Ukraine Used British Malloy T-150 Drones in Bridge Strike

Ukrainian forces employed British-made Malloy T-150 heavy-lift drones to destroy a Russian-controlled bridge over the Konka, a distributary of the River Dnipro, in what is described as the first drone-led operation to bring down a bridge in combat history.

The operation, which took place in early 2025, was the result of a two-month campaign involving repeated sorties by the Malloy T-150 drones. The mission was designed to degrade the ability of Russian forces to strike the city of Kherson, located on the right bank of the river.

Strategic Importance of the Konka Bridge

The bridge crossing the Konka was identified as a critical target due to its role in Russian logistics. Its destruction was intended to severely complicate Russian resupply efforts to river islands, which Russian forces had been using to launch attacks against Ukrainian positions and residential districts within Kherson.

Prior to the drone operation, Ukrainian forces attempted to destroy the bridge using air strikes and US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) rockets. These efforts were unsuccessful, as the structure proved resistant to traditional external strikes.

The Role of the 426th Unmanned Systems Regiment

Following the failure of air and rocket strikes, the task was assigned to the 426th Unmanned Systems Regiment of the Ukrainian marine corps. This unit is noted for battlefield innovation and the integration of research and development directly into combat operations.

Col Oleksii Bulakhov, the commander of the regiment, explained the technical challenge of the target, stating that Bridges are relatively easy to destroy from underneath, but adding that they are engineered in a way that makes them extremely robust from the outside.

The execution of the mission was handled by the regiment’s internal research and development unit, led by a lieutenant known by the call-sign Journalist. This unit is part of a broader ecosystem of front-line innovation where engineers embedded with combat units modify and adapt drone systems to meet changing battlefield requirements.

Combat Breakthrough and Implications

The mission was initially considered impossible by military planners. However, the repeated use of the heavy-lift Malloy T-150 drones allowed Ukrainian forces to successfully target the bridge’s vulnerabilities from underneath, leading to its eventual destruction in March 2025.

Military officials indicate that this operation represents a significant shift in the application of unmanned aerial systems in conflict, demonstrating that heavy-lift drones can be used to neutralize critical infrastructure that is otherwise resistant to conventional long-range precision munitions.