Ukrainian forces have systematically struck several bridges that serve as Russia’s primary supply routes from Crimea to the southern front, using repeated drone attacks that have left key spans damaged and burning, according to footage released by the 1st Separate Assault Regiment. The regiment posted video evidence on social media showing the aftermath of strikes on bridges in the Armyansk, Henichesk, and Chonhar areas over the past week.
Those three locations form the only land chokepoints between the Crimean Peninsula and the front lines in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. The 1st Separate Assault Regiment stated in its post that “the only way of delivery of Russian soldiers, ammunition, and fuel from the temporarily occupied Crimea was attacked.” The unit said some of the operations were carried out jointly with the 475th Assault Regiment and the Security Service of Ukraine’s elite Alpha unit.
Business Insider could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage, but the Ukrainian military’s decision to publish the clips signals a willingness to take credit for the attacks and to publicly demonstrate the extent of the damage inflicted. Pro-Russian authorities in the affected regions have not commented on the strikes.
Drone Technology Used in the Strikes
The 1st Separate Assault Regiment reported using two types of mid-range drones in the attacks. The FirePoint FP-2 has a wingspan of 18 feet and carries a 220-pound explosive payload.
The Hippo drone, with a wingspan of 7.5 feet, is equipped with a 77-pound thermobaric payload in addition to 88 pounds of conventional explosives. Several clips in the posted footage showed at least two bridges on fire, with sections of their structures severely damaged. The repeated slamming of drones into the asphalt of the roadways indicates a targeted effort to disable the bridges as functioning transportation links.
These bridges have been critical to Russia’s logistics network, supplying its forces in the occupied territories. The damage is likely to have a significant impact on the Kremlin’s ability to move soldiers, ammunition, and fuel from Crimea to the front lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
The use of drones to attack bridge infrastructure is a tactic the Ukrainian military has employed repeatedly in the conflict.
Broader Campaign Against Crimea’s Transport Network
The recent strikes on the Armyansk, Henichesk, and Chonhar bridges represent a shift in tactical focus from Ukraine’s previous high-profile attacks on the Kerch Strait Bridge, also known as the Crimea Bridge. That structure, a pair of parallel road and railway spans linking Russia’s Taman Peninsula to the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea, was built by Moscow after its 2014 annexation of the peninsula. It became the longest bridge in Europe and the longest ever constructed by Russia, serving as both a vital physical supply link and a symbolic connection between the Russian mainland and occupied Crimea.
Proposals for a bridge across the Kerch Strait date back to the early 20th century, but construction began only in 2016 after the annexation. The road section opened in 2018, inaugurated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the rail bridge followed in 2019.
The project was awarded to a company owned by Arkady Rotenberg, a billionaire with close ties to Putin. For years the bridge operated as a critical logistics artery, carrying cars, trucks, and trains bearing supplies into Crimea. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kerch Strait Bridge has been struck multiple times.
In October 2022, an explosion caused parts of the road deck to collapse and ignited a large fire on the rail span. Another explosion damaged the road bridge in July 2023, and a missile attack followed the next month.
A further explosion occurred in June 2025 near the bridge’s support pillars. Ukraine claimed responsibility for all three attacks, and each time the bridge eventually reopened to traffic after repairs. The smaller bridges targeted in the latest drone strikes are different in scale but equally important to Russia’s military logistics.
These crossing points serve as the three land chokepoints that connect Crimea to the southern front lines. By damaging them, Ukraine disrupts the Kremlin’s ability to move forces and materiel from Crimea into the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
The destruction of these bridges is likely a major blow to Russian military logistics in southern Ukraine. Ukraine’s continued targeting of the transportation network that makes Crimea a logistics hub for Russian operations reflects a broader strategy aimed at isolating the peninsula and weakening Moscow’s grip on occupied southern Ukraine. The ability to repeatedly strike these critical infrastructure points represents a significant development in the conflict, and how the Russian military responds in the coming weeks will be closely watched.
