Key bridges hit: Ukraine squeezes Russian logistics to Crimea, ISW says
Photo: Strikes on bridges have blocked land routes to Crimea (screenshot from video)
Further Ukrainian strikes on Russian supply routes are likely to have a chain reaction on the battlefield and could complicate Russia’s preparations for offensive operations, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Analyzing the latest Ukrainian strikes carried out overnight on June 11, analysts mapped all six bridges and road routes between the occupied part of the Kherson region and Crimea that came under attack over the past week:
- Chonhar Bridge, struck on June 7 and June 9;
- Bridge between Henichesk and the Arabat Spit, damaged on June 10;
- Bridge over the North Crimean Canal near Preobrazhenka, damaged on June 11;
- Bridge over the North Crimean Canal near Myrne, damaged on June 11;
- Road bridge on the Perekop-Armiansk route, damaged on June 11;
- Bridge near the settlement of Stavky, damaged on June 11.
Map of bridges between the Kherson region and Crimea that have been attacked (ISW)
Analysts note that Ukrainian forces are intensifying a medium-range strike campaign against Russian logistics routes in occupied southern Ukraine, undermining Russia’s ability to safely use supply lines connecting southwestern Russia with occupied Crimea.
Continued strikes are likely to have a “cascading battlefield effects and may complicate Russian preparations for offensive operations.”
ISW experts also emphasized that Russian occupation authorities are struggling to address fuel shortages in occupied Crimea, particularly in Sevastopol, which appears to be a consequence of Ukrainian strikes on Russian logistics and energy infrastructure.
The think tank also noted that Ukraine’s Defense Forces appear to have gained a tactical advantage in drone warfare along the front line. This is not only disrupting Russian logistics but also increasing Russian battlefield losses while recruitment levels for the Russian military continue to decline.
Ukrainian strikes on the Chonhar Bridge
The first strike on the Chonhar Bridge was carried out on Sunday, June 7. Traffic later resumed in a limited alternating mode.
On June 9, drones struck the bridge again, forcing traffic to be suspended once more. Occupation authorities subsequently advised drivers to use alternative routes through Armiansk and Perekop.
Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation reported that the Chonhar Bridge was completely destroyed after multiple drone strikes.
In addition, on the morning of June 10, the bridge between Henichesk and the Arabat Spit in the occupied part of the Kherson region was closed. This became the second major crossing shut down by Russian authorities in recent days after the Chonhar Bridge.
During the night of June 11, explosions were reported across Crimea. Local channels reported fires in Simferopol and Sevastopol, while bridges on key land access routes were also damaged.
More details on why the Chonhar Bridge is strategically important and how its loss could affect Russian forces can be found in RBC-Ukraine’s full report.
