Bridge connecting Crimea to occupied Ukrainian region damaged

2023-06-22 09:19:00

Ukrainian forces struck a bridge connecting annexed Crimea with an area of ​​Ukraine’s Kherson region occupied by Russian forces.

By NJ with AFP At least one bridge connecting annexed Crimea and part of southern Ukraine partially occupied by Russian forces was damaged by a Ukrainian strike. (Illustrative image) © WOJCIECH GRZEDZINSKI / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP Posted on 06/22/2023 at 09:19

On the night of Wednesday June 21 to Thursday June 22, a Ukrainian strike hit the Changar bridge, connecting annexed Crimea and an area of ​​the Ukrainian region of Kherson occupied by Russian forces. “There were no casualties,” said the Russian governor of annexed Crimea, Sergei Aksionov, adding that the damage was being assessed and calling on residents to calm down.

This strike, reported by the Russian authorities, comes as Ukrainian forces have been carrying out offensive actions since the beginning of June on several sectors of the front, particularly in southern Ukraine. Crimea serves in particular as a logistics rear base for the Russian forces deployed in southern Ukraine.

Several infrastructures affected, according to an official

While Sergei Aksionov mentioned only one damaged bridge, an official of the Russian occupation in Kherson reported several damaged infrastructures, without giving details. Kiev forces “bombed civilian infrastructure: bridges at the administrative boundary between the Kherson region and Crimea near Tchongar,” said Vladimir Saldo, installed by Moscow at the head of the occupied areas in Kherson.

READ ALSOWar in Ukraine: the United States announces $ 1.3 billion in aid to kyivHe posted photos showing the same bridge with a crater in the causeway and claimed that according to “early estimates” Kyiv forces used British Storm Shadow missiles. It was not possible to independently verify these claims.

Crimea is regularly targeted by Ukrainian attacks, particularly from drones. In October 2022, a powerful explosion severely damaged the only bridge directly linking annexed Crimea to Russia.