Drone Strike Shuts Down Key Bridge Linking Crimea to Mainland Ukraine

A drone strike on Tuesday morning has forced the closure of the Chonhar Bridge, a critical route linking occupied Crimea to mainland Ukraine.

Vladimir Saldo, the Kremlin-installed head of the occupied Kherson region, said traffic across the bridge had been suspended following the attack and urged drivers to use alternative routes through Armyansk and Perekop.

The bridge was one of the shortest routes used by Russian forces to move personnel and supplies between the peninsula and southern Ukraine.

The bridge crosses the Syvash lagoon at the narrow Chonhar Strait, roughly 140 kilometers (87 miles) southeast of Kherson and about 90 kilometers (56 miles) north of Dzhankoi, a major Russian military hub in northern Crimea.

According to Saldo, Russian air defenses intercepted more than 20 drones approaching the crossing, but some had reached their target.

The attack came shortly after another strike on the same bridge on Sunday that suspended vehicle traffic.

As of Tuesday morning, occupation authorities had not announced when normal traffic across the bridge would resume.

The attack also forms part of Kyiv’s ongoing campaign to sever Russian logistics to occupied Crimea.

In the second half of May, Kyiv intensified strikes on transport routes to Crimea, resulting in fuel shortages on the peninsula.

According to Radio Liberty, cash sales of gasoline had been fully banned in Crimea as of June 4. Fuel purchases were limited to 20 liters (5.3 gallons) per customer and restricted to pre-existing ration coupons, which were also reported to be in short supply.

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Russians Reportedly Withdraw From Ukraine’s Kinburn Spit – Why the Fuss?

Russian units stationed on the Kinburn Spit in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region are reportedly withdrawing from parts of the occupied area after Ukrainian strikes disrupted key supply routes, according to the Atesh partisan group. The group said deliveries of ammunition, fuel, and food had been cut off, forcing elements of Russia’s 337th Regiment to abandon some positions.

Ukrainian strikes also damaged the crossing in 2023, temporarily disrupting Russian military logistics and forcing occupation authorities to reroute traffic.

Since then, Moscow has invested heavily in air-defense systems protecting transport infrastructure linking Crimea to occupied territories.