In Ukraine, the drone war is above all a war of innovation. In addition to the usual missions of suicide bombers, targeting troops such as equipment or infrastructure, drones can also be used to drop portcullises, mines, sink ships, save soldiers or even take enemies prisoner. For the first time, a video documents a submersible FPV (first person view) drone-kamikaze as it prepares to destroy a Russian wooden footbridge over a front river in the Kharkiv oblast (north-eastern Ukraine).
The machine in question, nicknamed “Shrike Special Edition”, is not an ordinary drone, explains the American magazine Forbes. Developed by the Ukrainians, it can land on water, submerge, remain hidden beneath the surface, then reappear to attack. This capability was revealed in February 2025 by Ukrainian military expert Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov, who then presented a prototype capable of hiding in flooded ponds, lakes or craters, out of reach of Russian gaze and radar.
The video, published by the Northern Eagles battalion of the 151st motorized brigade of the Ukrainian Army, shows a makeshift footbridge built by Russian troops. Made of three tree trunks placed on the remains of a destroyed bridge, it allows infantry troops to cross the river. The drone, submerged nearby, approaches it and suddenly explodes, pulverizing the structure. A message accompanying the sequence calls for donations to finance new drones of this type.
Here’s something you don’t see every day.
Ukraine’s 151st Motorized Rifle Brigade published this video showing how they an underwater FPV drone to destroy a Russian river crossing.
I guess this is in Kharkiv region, date unknown. pic.twitter.com/QKbo23trY2— Tim White (@TWMCLtd) June 30, 2025
Why deploy such advanced technology to destroy such an antiquated gateway? Several hypotheses are circulating: the Shrike was perhaps waiting for Russian soldiers for a more spectacular attack, but, short of battery, the operator would have preferred to explode it rather than risk its capture. It is also possible that this is only a test run to verify, in real conditions, the drone’s ability to strike an aquatic target, without the presence of enemy troops so as not to compromise the mission.
A complete machine
While the destruction of three tree trunks thrown across a river is not a strategic setback for Russia, the demonstration of the technology is more important than it seems. A drone capable of striking underwater opens the way for attacks against much larger targets like bridge piers or enemy submarines.
These new type of drones have everything going for them: once submerged, they escape radar and traditional surveillance tools. Versatile, they can be used in ambush, to mine passages or prepare coordinated attacks. We must also not neglect the dissuasive role of this technology, which forces the enemy – by its simple existence – to now monitor the surface and the aquatic depths.
The appearance of these amphibious FPV drones is no coincidence. Ukraine, a pioneer in the massive use of cheap drones, has ordered more than 1,500 classic Shrikes from 2023. Their submersible version, if it remains marginal, could quickly multiply, as the technical complexity remains moderate and the tactical advantage obvious. Already extremely effective in the Black Sea thanks to its drones, the Ukrainian army has just equipped its arsenal with a significant new asset.
