According to the occupying administration of Crimea, the missile strike from the Chongar highway will hinder Russian supply connections for several weeks.
On Thursday morning, Ukraine made an attack on the Chongar road bridge between the Crimean peninsula and the mainland.
There are plenty of pictures of the aftermath of the attack on social media. Based on them, there is at least one large hole in the asphalt of the bridge, through which you can see the rippling water below.
According to experts interviewed by the Russian RIA news agency, Ukraine fired four missiles at the bridge. According to RIA, it has been concluded from the remains of the missiles that they were French-made. This would indicate that French versions of the Storm Shadow cruise missile, Scalp missiles, had been fired at the bridge.
On the other hand, the damage to the bridge is smaller than what cruise missiles are supposed to cause. Based on this, it is possible that the bridge has been hit by remote-controlled drones.
Helin: The impact has a symbolic meaning
An expert following the war in Ukraine John Helin considers the blow to be symbolically meaningful.
– This shows that Ukraine is still able to actively attack Russia’s supply connections and rear lines. This fits well into the context of the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Ukraine has hit Russia’s ammunition depots and other infrastructure.
However, in Helin’s opinion, a single blow is not of great importance.
– From a military point of view, I do not consider this strike to be very significant. Russia will probably be able to bridge this strait easily.
The news agency RIA has interviewed a traffic expert of the Russian administration in Crimea. According to him, repairing the bridge will take up to several weeks.
Head of the occupation administration of the Kherson region of Russia Vladimir Saldo says that maintenance traffic with armed forces vehicles will be diverted to an alternative route.
John Helin believes that bypassing the bridge will cause at least some kind of bottleneck for Russian maintenance. There are not many alternative routes from Crimea to the mainland.
The main supply of Russian troops is by rail. Near the Chongar road bridge, there is a railway bridge crossing the same strait, which is in working order.
“The psychological effect is more important”
A Ukrainian official in the Kherson region tells Reuters news agency that the strike will damage the occupiers’ logistics.
– But the psychological effect on the occupiers is even more important. There is no place in the Kherson region where they can feel safe.
Source: Reuters