For the second time since the beginning of the full-scale war, the Crimean bridge has been closed due to significant damage to the roadway. Learn more about the consequences of the attack by surface drones and how the destruction will affect the supply of the russian military group

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On the night of July 17, the Crimean bridge suffered another destruction, which cut off the peninsula's road connection with the territory of the russian federation. According to russian Deputy Prime Minister Husnullin, two-way traffic on one part of the bridge will be restored no earlier than September 15, and on the other - in November.

So what happened on the Crimean bridge and how the destruction will affect the supply of the russian army is described in our article.

What was used to attack the Crimean Bridge?

The Crimean bridge was attacked with the use of surface drones, which were probably launched from Zmeinyi Island. This is not the first time that surface drones, also called counteroffensive sea sharks, have been used on the battlefield. Earlier, Ukraine used them to attack russian ships in bays on the peninsula, particularly in Sevastopil.

Despite the fact that russia obviously has much more capabilities and capacity to control the Black Sea, it is losing this battle. After all, Ukrainian surface drones give russian ships nightmares and actually force them to change their deployment locations and not go to sea to launch missiles.

It should be noted that kamikaze surface drones are a new Ukrainian development, which was implemented during a full-scale war. And while in 2022 these were larger, less maneuverable and powerful drones, in the spring of 2023 the world saw new maritime vehicles called "Bakhmut". The new model of drones is smaller and has a sleek body. However, there is no official information on the technical characteristics of these surface vehicles.

Read more about how and why the holiday season in Crimea failed here.

Who attacked the Crimean bridge?

Ukraine does not hide its involvement in the explosions on the Crimean bridge. And while the Ukrainian side remained silent during the first attack on the bridge, today the SBU promises to disclose the details of this operation after Ukraine's victory. At the same time, analysts predict that the attacks on the Kerch Strait bridge have only just begun, and in the near future Ukraine will demonstrate the full potential of its "navy."

In his turn, Mykhailo Podolyak, Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office, wrote: "Any illegal structures used to deliver russian instruments of mass murder are short-lived. Regardless of the reasons for the destruction.".

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How will a strike on the Crimean bridge affect russia's logistics routes?

The bridge across the Kerch Strait is not just a critical infrastructure facility, but also one of the most important links in russia's supply chain for troops based in southern Ukraine. Moreover, the Crimean bridge is the pride of russia, which it uses as a symbol of the annexation of Crimea. And russia is making every effort to protect this facility, but it is obvious that their defense is suffering.

Given the fact that the railroad part of the bridge was not damaged and traffic has already resumed, the July 17 strike did not affect the supply of weapons across the strait. 

However, it is important to take into account the psychological and emotional component of this operation, because all the efforts made by russia to protect this facility are in vain. In addition, russians who tried to leave Crimea are being forced to travel through the mainland of occupied Ukraine. Today, there are many kilometers-long queues of people trying to escape from the peninsula.

In addition, official statements by representatives of the Ukrainian authorities indicate that this is only the beginning of the operation to destroy the illegal structure connecting the territory of the russian federation with the annexed peninsula. And the effectiveness of Ukrainian surface drones allows us to successfully bring this matter to an end.

As the Head of the Military Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov stated, "The Crimean bridge is a redundant structure". So, we look forward to the successful completion of the military operation and the return of the Crimean peninsula to Ukraine as soon as possible!

We remind you! The Ukrainian Armed Forces are making progress in almost all areas of the frontline, but the pace of the counteroffensive is slower than expected. We explained why the de-occupation of the territories requires more time and what the key problem of the Ukrainian troops is in our previous article.

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