About 200 strikes since May: The Ukrainian Armed Forces are systematically targeting fuel tankers and trucks on the “land bridge” to Crimea
15 June 16:18
Robert Brovdy, commander of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces, has promised to “isolate Crimea” in the near future, and his troops are stepping up strikes on the “Novorossiya” federal highway leading to the peninsula. Additionally, medium-range drones are being used to cut off supplies of weapons, fuel, and equipment to frontline units, the Financial Times reports, as cited by "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to confirmed video footage, since May, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have carried out at least 375 strikes on trucks, fuel tankers, and other vehicles in the occupied territories.
More than half of these attacks, according to French analyst Clément Molen, took place on the “Novorossiya” highway, which runs to Crimea from Rostov-on-Don via Mariupol and Melitopol.
The intensity of the bombing is increasing. Earlier, Molen estimated that approximately 125 trucks were hit on the highway during the four weeks of May. In June, one of the main targets became the final section of the “land bridge” to Crimea—the bridges between the Kherson region and the peninsula. Satellite images from Planet Labs dated June 12 show trucks in Chongar heading from one of the two permanent bridges to a pontoon bridge across the river.
There is no traffic on the second, larger bridge. It was shut down after several strikes over the past week and a half. On Monday, May 15, Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed “governor” of the occupied Kherson region, again reported damage to two bridges following a nighttime drone strike and the suspension of traffic.
Ukraine is rapidly expanding its drone arsenal, and in recent months, medium-range drones capable of striking targets up to 200 km away have taken on the main burden. Among them are the American Hornets, which, despite carrying a payload of only about 5 kg, are equipped with an AI-powered guidance system. They are primarily used to target fuel tankers and other vehicles in “Novorossiya.”
The Ukrainian FP-2s and “Behemoths,” which carry heavier payloads, attack warehouses and bridges connecting the mainland to Crimea. Many use Starlink terminals, which makes it harder to counter them.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ new tactics have led to a massive fuel crisis in Crimea, which has already triggered panic buying of food “for stockpiling.” Additionally, cutting off the Russian army’s supply lines puts frontline units in a difficult position.
Ukraine’s goal is clear, says Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Institute for Foreign Policy Research:
Fewer ammunition and fuel supplies are reaching the front lines… Russian UAV crews are receiving fewer drones, and artillery crews are receiving fewer shells. If Moscow does not take countermeasures, this could ultimately give Kyiv more leverage in any future negotiations.
Watch us on YouTube: important topics – without censorship
