Russian military logistics convoys take twice as long to supply their troops on the frontlines in Zaporizhzhia Oblast (southeastern Ukraine) after the Ukrainian missile attack on the Chonhar bridge, British intelligence reported in its daily update on the Russo-Ukrainian war.
On 22 June 2023, Ukrainian Armed Forces struck the Chonhar road bridges between the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula and Kherson Oblast in southern Ukraine. These bridges connect occupied Crimea with Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, being an important transportation route that Russia used to supply its forces in southern Ukraine via the Crimean Peninsula.
“The route over the Chonhar bridges is the most direct route from Russia’s Crimean logistics hub at Dzhankoi and the Zaporizhzhia sector, where Russia is currently defending against a major Ukrainian offensive. The temporary closure of the route caused vital Russian logistics convoys to take at least 50% longer to reach the front via alternative routes,” British intelligence reported on 28 June.
Russian authorities reportedly constructed a pontoon bridge replacement crossing within 24 hours of the Ukrainian missile attack. However, crossings are likely limited to military traffic only, according to British intelligence.
Strike on Chonhar bridge may disrupt Russian logistics in Zaporizhzhia Oblast
The speed at which the alternative crossing was built showed how vital the supply route over the Chonhar bridge was to Russian military efforts in southern Ukraine, British intelligence concluded.
The devastating strike on the Chonhar bridge is likely an attempt to isolate the battlefield in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where the Ukrainian counteroffensive is unfolding.
Related:
- Chonhar bridge linking Crimea to Kherson damaged 120 km behind the lines (updated)
- Partisans damage vital railway supply route in occupied Crimea
- Frontline report: Ukrainian forces hold ground, disrupt Russian logistics in southern theater
- Russia prepares for Ukraine’s attack on occupied Crimea – British Intel
