LONDON: A Ukrainian missile attack on a key bridge to the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia has hampered Russian supplies, the British Ministry of Defence said in its daily intelligence update on the war on Wednesday, reported German news agency (dpa).
“The temporary closure of the route caused vital Russian logistics convoys to take at least 50 per cent longer to reach the front via alternative routes,“ the ministry said on Twitter.
The ministry said the Russian occupation authorities “almost certainly constructed a pontoon bridge replacement crossing within 24 hours of the attack”, which took place in the early morning on Thursday.
“The speed with which an alternative crossing was constructed indicates how vital this route is to the Russian military efforts in occupied Ukraine,“ the London statement added.
Crossings are presumably currently reserved for the military, it said.
The Chonhar Bridge connects the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea and the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, which is partially occupied by Russia. It is one of the two main supply routes, according to the UK Defence Ministry, as well as the most direct link to the frontline in the Zaporizhzhya region, where Ukrainian troops are currently undertaking a major offensive. - Bernama