Overnight strikes on June 9 damaged the Chonhar Bridge, forcing Russia-installed authorities to suspend traffic on a main link between occupied Kherson and Crimea.
Vladimir Saldo said the crossing carries ammunition and fuel, while the nearby Dzhankoi road checkpoint was also closed and drivers were rerouted through Armyansk and Perekop.
Saldo said Russian air defenses intercepted more than 20 Ukrainian drones, but the attack still hit a corridor on the R-280 highway used to move troops, equipment and supplies to southern front lines.
The strike was the second in less than three days after a June 7 attack that reportedly used FP-2 drones and Ukraine's newly unveiled Behemoth system against the same logistics route.
The repeated hits fit Kyiv's broader effort to choke Russia's "land bridge" to Crimea, with Ukrainian intelligence saying it has kept key supply lines under operational fire control.
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Disrupting the Land Bridge: The June 7, 2026 Chonhar Bridge Strike and Its Strategic Impact on Crimea
Overview
On June 7, 2026, Ukrainian forces, including the 475th and 1st Separate Assault Regiments, launched a coordinated strike on the Chonhar Bridge using Fire Point systems and Begemot UAVs, with cyber intelligence guiding the operation. This attack, part of a broader campaign to disrupt Russian logistics, also included strikes on fuel facilities in occupied Crimea that same night. The damage forced Russian officials to delay repairs and reroute supplies, increasing strain on their military operations and civilian life in Crimea. Ukraine’s evolving drone strategy is making Russian supply lines more vulnerable and complicating their control over the region.