Amidst Rising Hostilities, Explosions Target Crimea Bridges While Ukraine’s Aerial Strikes Heighten conflict with Russia

Explosions Target Crimea Bridges Amidst Ukraine-Russia Strife_1080p

^{Credit: Google | Kerch Bridge}

In a heightened display of escalating tensions, a series of explosions rocked critical road bridges that connect occupied Crimea with parts of the Kherson region under Russian control. Ukrainian forces have intensified their targeting of Russian infrastructure and territories, triggering a chain of events that includes aerial strikes and missile attacks. The explosions coincided with a Moscow drone being shot down, Ukraine targeting a major naval base, and a strike on a significant Russian oil tanker by a sea drone.

Ukrainian Forces 🇺🇦 hit two logistical routes linking Crimea to the rest of Ukraine using several Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles

Both The Chongar Bridge and The Henichesk Bridge were hit, they are two of four places where vehicles can cross over from Crimea to enter Kherson Oblast pic.twitter.com/1FvWig3gGi
— Ukraine Battle Map (@ukraine_map) August 6, 2023

Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed acting head of Kherson region, revealed that the missiles used in the bridge attacks were Storm Shadows, air-launched long-range missiles supplied to Ukraine by the UK. The bridges, vital for civilian traffic, sustained damage, with one bridge also suffering a rupture in a gas pipeline, affecting over 20,000 residents in Kherson.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a Russian-guided aerial bomb struck a blood transfusion facility in the Kharkiv region, resulting in deaths.. The conflict has seen a barrage of Russian missiles targeting Ukrainian sites, though many have been successfully intercepted. Drone strikes have also become more frequent in Russian cities, adding to the tension.

Russian-controlled territory is increasingly susceptible to Ukrainian strikes, as demonstrated by a recent attack on a Russian port far from Ukrainian-held regions, that caused significant damage to a warship. Ukraine has indicated its intent to continue targeting Russian shipping and the Crimean Bridge.

The head of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), Vasyl Maliuk, defended these operations, asserting their legality within Ukrainian territorial waters. He emphasized that Russia’s departure from Ukrainian land and waters is the sole path to halting these operations.

In a separate incident, the Chonhar road bridge linking mainland Ukraine to Crimea was damaged by a Ukrainian missile strike, further complicating transportation to and from the peninsula. The bridge, previously targeted in June, is a vital link used by the Russian military to traverse between Crimea and other Ukrainian-controlled regions.

As tensions escalate, the attacks are rendering movement to and from the peninsula increasingly challenging. This area, seized by Russia in 2014, remains a contentious flashpoint that carries both military significance for Moscow and serves as a popular tourist destination.

These events reflect the intricate and evolving nature of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, marked by the strategic targeting of critical infrastructure and territorial control.