KYIV, June 11 — Ukrainian troops are crippling Russia’s supply bridges by slamming drones repeatedly into the asphalt, according to footage posted by the 1st Separate Assault Regiment.
The regiment said it carried out the strikes over the last week on the Armyansk, Henichesk, and Chonhar areas, the three chokepoints between Crimea and the southern front. The bridges in those areas have been critical to the Kremlin’s logistics routes to the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
Ukraine has been using new mid-range drones to attack key bridges supplying Russia’s rear forces from the south, and battlefield footage appears to show the tactic inflicting significant damage.
Several social media posts over the last five days from the 1st Separate Assault Regiment have shown first-person-view drone footage of uncrewed systems repeatedly flown into the bridge’s surface from above. Some of the attacks were coordinated with the 475th Assault Regiment and the Security Service of Ukraine’s elite Alpha unit.
The regiment used two types of mid-range drones: the FirePoint FP-2, with a wingspan of 18 feet and a 220-pound explosive payload, and the Hippo, which has a wingspan of 7.5 feet and carries a 77-pound thermobaric payload alongside 88 pounds of explosives.
Several of the clips showed at least two bridges burning, with their structures severely damaged in some areas. The 1st Separate Assault Regiment wrote that “the only way of delivery of Russian soldiers, ammunition, and fuel from the temporarily occupied Crimea was attacked”. Pro-Russian authorities in the region have confirmed the attacks, although the authenticity of the footage could not be independently verified by Business Insider.
The damage to the bridges is a significant blow to Russia’s logistics capabilities in the region. A sharp escalation in the conflict is evident as Ukraine targets Russia’s supply lines.
The use of drones to attack bridges is a tactic that has been effective in disrupting Russia’s ability to supply its forces in the region.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how Russia will respond to the damage to its supply bridges. The Ukrainian military’s ability to target these critical infrastructure points has significant implications for the ongoing conflict.
The international community will be watching closely to see how the situation develops in the coming days. The impact of the damaged bridges on Russia’s military operations in the region will be a key factor in determining the trajectory of the conflict. With the bridges severely damaged, Russia’s ability to supply its forces will be severely impaired, giving Ukraine a significant advantage on the battlefield.
