The Russian occupying forces are now being forced to divert their traffic to the longer routes in western Crimea because of the damage to the road bridges at Chonhar and Henichesk, according to the US Institute for War Studies ISW in Washington. The strikes against key transport routes created the conditions for future decisive operations of the ongoing Ukrainian counter-offensive, it said.
The Russian troops in the occupied part of the Cherson region receive supplies primarily via Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Earlier, Ukraine had also shelled the Crimean bridge from Kerch to Russia in an attempt to cut off troops in Kherson from the vital supply line. However, road and rail traffic continued there.
The strikes on the bridges of Chonhar and Henichesk also made it difficult for an indefinite period to transport personnel, materials and equipment for the Russian defense positions in the west of the Zaporizhia region and in the Zaporizhia-Donetsk border area, according to the ISW analysis. It is unclear how quickly the Russian occupiers will be able to repair it.