Ukrainian Armed Forces strikes on bridges: Impact on the occupiers' logistics

According to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian troops' strikes on the Chongar and Henichesk bridges connecting occupied Crimea with mainland Ukraine were part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' strategy to create conditions for a stronger counteroffensive.

On August 6, the Ukrainian Armed Forces loaded up on these two key road bridges, located along major Russian land corridors that connect Crimea to mainland Ukraine. The strike forced Russian forces to divert traffic to longer western routes, severely straining Russian army logistics.

Volodymyr Saldo, head of the so-called occupation administration of Kherson region, reported 12 missile attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the bridge over the Genichesk Strait, which connects the Genichesk district with the Arabat Spit, of which 9 missiles were intercepted by Russian air defense, he said. Sergei Aksyonov, the so-called head of Crimea, claims that Ukrainian troops fired two missiles at the Chongar bridge, and one missile damaged the roadway of the road bridge.

Russian sources claim that Ukrainian forces used Storm Shadow cruise missiles in both attacks.

Aksyonov also reported that the bridge over Chongar is being repaired, and the occupiers are forced to redirect all traffic through the Armyansk and Perekop checkpoints to the M-17 (Armyansk - Oleshky) and T2202 (Armyansk - Nova Kakhovka) highways. The occupying Ministry of Transport of Crimea announced that all traffic through the Dzhankoy checkpoint on the M-18 highway is closed, but traffic across the bridges over the Kerch Strait and the Kerch ferry crossing is proceeding as usual.

ISW analysts note that the Russian occupiers will be forced to redirect their military logistics to longer western routes between the occupied Crimea and the territory of Kherson region. This may lead to the use of rural roads to avoid the area hit by Ukrainian artillery in Kherson region, which will significantly slow down the logistical support of their units.

Analysts also emphasize that Ukrainian troops' attacks on bridges in critical areas for the Russians have become part of an overall Ukrainian strategy aimed at creating conditions for future counteroffensives.

Russian military bloggers also note that the August 6 strikes showed that Ukrainian forces are systematically trying to cut off the Russian group in the southern direction and interfere with their logistics, just as they did during the Kherson counteroffensive.

ISW believes that Ukrainian strikes on the eastern checkpoints are likely to prevent the transfer of Russian troops and equipment from occupied Crimea to conduct important defense operations in the western part of Zaporizhzhia region and on the border between Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions. According to ISW, the interests of the Ukrainian military are to weaken the occupiers' logistics and create favorable conditions for future counteroffensive operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.