Chonhar Bridge struck in occupied Kherson Oblast as Ukraine steps up pressure on Russian logistics routes in Crimea
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Traffic on the Chonhar Bridge in Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast was closed after a Ukrainian drone strike, Russian-installed regional head Volodymyr Saldo said on June 9.
The news comes as Ukrainian forces have intensified their strike campaign against Russian logistics, including in Crimea, disrupting fuel deliveries on the peninsula and complicating other supplies critical to the Russian army.
The R-280 "Novorossiya" highway, built by Russian-installed authorities, crosses the Chonhar Bridge in Kherson Oblast and connects Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia with Crimea via occupied parts of Donetsk Oblast, serving as an important route for Russian military logistics and supplies.
This is the second time in the past three days that the bridge has been closed, following an overnight June 7 strike involving Ukrainian FP-2 and Behemot drones, which are used in Ukraine's middle-strike campaign typically covering distances of 30 to 300 kilometers (20–185 miles) from the front line.
The bridge was damaged and traffic was temporarily halted, with drivers redirected through the settlements of Armiansk and Perekop in Russian-occupied Crimea, Saldo said on June 9.
Saldo also claimed Russian air defenses intercepted more than 20 Ukrainian drones approaching the bridge.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
The June 9 strike came as Commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces Robert Brovdi, known by the call sign "Madyar," claimed Ukrainian drone operations had significantly disrupted another major Russian logistics route to Crimea.
According to Brovdi, Russian military cargo traffic along the R-280 "Novorossiya" highway, which connects Russia with occupied Crimea through Mariupol, Berdiansk, and Melitopol, has fallen by 71% over the past two weeks due to Ukrainian strikes.
According to figures provided by Brovdi, daily freight traffic along the route fell from roughly 3,800 vehicles per day to around 1,100.
"Traffic collapse is not a blockade," Brovdi said. "But the current 'diet' imposed on this first land corridor, the lifeline of the occupation grouping, is sensitive and effective."
"We know all your routes like the back of our hand. Try taking the back roads, as ordered. Siberia is your rear base," Brovdi added.
Ukraine is expanding its middle-strike campaign, targeting assets at the operational depth, focusing on air defense systems, command posts, fuel and ammunition depots, and logistics vehicles.
Earlier, Ukrainian drones gained control of key Russian military supply routes in occupied parts of Luhansk Oblast, the Third Army Corps said on Facebook on May 31.
