Official: Ukrainians destroy partially built railway bridge near occupied Mariupol

Near the city of Mariupol, currently under Russian occupation, Ukrainian forces successfully targeted and demolished a railway bridge constructed by the occupying forces, as reported by the Mariupol City Council in exile on 8 January in a post on the Telegram messaging platform.

This bridge was a key component in Russia's plan to establish a direct railway link from Russia to Mariupol. The destruction of this bridge marks a significant setback in their efforts.

“According to preliminary information, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed a half-built railway bridge, fuel tanks, and engineering vehicles outside the village of Hranitne near Mariupol," the Council says.

The Mariupol City Council noted that the Russian air d defenses attempted to shoot down the Ukrainian missiles that targeted the bridge, which helped to identify "the location of new air defense batteries in the Mariupol district." 

At the moment of the publication of this article, no other source confirmed the attack and its results.

In September 2023, an exiled Mariupol official reported that Russia started building a direct link between occupied Mariupol, Volnovakha, and Donetsk. According to him, if Russia successfully built the railroad, it would allow the connection of the Mariupol-Aslanove-Kalchyk-Volnovakha branch in Russia-occupied Ukraine with Russia's Taganrog and Rostov-on-Don.

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