Storm damage exposes Crimean Bridge to Ukrainian drones
As reported by the Ukrainian agency Unian, the defensive structures around the Crimean Bridge are in poor condition due to storms. During one of the recent storms, the Russians lost equipment for countering sea drones.
The Crimean Bridge connects the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula with the Taman Peninsula. This 18-kilometre-long structure is important for the Russian Federation as it provides essential logistics for their military. However, despite continuous attempts to secure the bridge from attacks, ‘inhuman’ forces, especially the weather, also play a role. Recent severe storms have weakened the Russians' defensive barges.
Russian barges around the Crimean Bridge succumb to the weather
Russian defensive structures around the Crimean Bridge are in poor condition, Unian reports. The adverse weather conditions, including storms, have caused damage. The bridge is now exposed, allowing the Ukrainians to target it with surface drones.
"Nature always intervenes," said Dmytro Pletentchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, as quoted by Unian. He emphasised that the storms were expected to cause many Russian structures around the bridge to fail.
Occupiers have constructed various defences around the bridge, including sinking protective elements and erecting fences. Currently, many of these structures are not operational, having succumbed to the destructive forces of nature. There are no indications that the situation will improve soon, as the storm season is expected to continue for several more months.
It is worth noting that, according to analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko, the Crimean Bridge could be used as an escape route for the occupiers from Crimea. Although destroying the bridge is currently impossible due to strong air defences, new opportunities are emerging.
Ukrainian sea drones
In the context of the threat posed by surface drones, it should be noted that initially, Ukrainian constructions of this type were somewhat makeshift and had limited capabilities. However, engineers have developed models such as Sea Baby, Mykola-3, Magura V5 (known in English as the Maritime Autonomous Guard Unmanned Robotic Apparatus), and the latest Stalker 5.0. These types of drones can carry explosive loads weighing several hundred kilogrammes and travel distances exceeding 500 kilometres.
