Chonhar bridge attacks will impede Russian logistics – expert opinion
Even a short disruption of Russian army logistics caused by the recent Ukrainian strike on Chonhar bridges in northern Crimea could be “crucial” for the ongoing counteroffensive, Oleksiy Melnyk, the head of the foreign policy and international security program at Ukraine’s Razumkov Centre told NV Radio on June 22.
According to Melnyk, video evidence has shown damage to both bridges in Chonhar, noting that the second bridge, which previously was not in use, could serve as a backup.
"Assuming the optimistic claims of the self-proclaimed occupation leader, governor (Vladimir) Saldo, are accurate, and they can restore it, the process would still take several hours, even with temporary measures," the expert said.
"For our primary objective today – the counteroffensive – even a few hours of disruption in supply chains can be extremely crucial."
Melnyk continued by stating that the occupiers were already encountering significant issues with overland supply routes to Crimea, even before these strikes.
“Online, one can find firsthand accounts of truck drivers being redirected around the Crimea Bridge,” he said.
“Even without the Chonhar bridge's destruction, this detour involved several days, if not weeks, of waiting at checkpoints. Now, to put it bluntly, these problems will likely intensify by at least 50%.”
The expert added that if the remaining links between Crimea and the mainland suffer damage in the upcoming days, it would essentially sever "the possibility of reinforcing Russian forces stationed in southern Ukraine from the territory of Crimea."
Melnyk also mentioned that significant logistical issues would arise for the peninsula itself in such a scenario.
Early on June 22, Russian occupiers reported a strike on a bridge at the administrative border between Kherson Oblast and Crimea, near Chonhar.
The Kremlin refused to comment on the attack, with Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov redirecting the question to the Russian Defense Ministry.
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