Russia is attempting to deploy new barge barriers near the Kerch Bridge in occupied Crimea instead of the destroyed ones, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, said on Jan. 6.
The barriers form part of a network of measures, both on land and sea, set up by Moscow to protect the bridge after multiple successful Ukrainian attacks.
Speaking on national television, Pletenchuk confirmed that they were damaged due to storms in the Black Sea.
"Still, of course, they (Russia) are taking maximum measures to protect this illegal construction (the Crimean Bridge)," Pletenchuk said. "And so far, there are no tendencies to reduce their activity."
The bridge is also equipped with layered air defense systems, he added.
The 19-kilometer-long (12 miles) Crimean Bridge, constructed following Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea in 2014 and completed in 2018, serves as a vital supply route for Russian forces.
The bridge has been targeted by Ukraine multiple times, suffering heavy damage in strikes in October 2022 and July 2023.
The Crimean Bridge remains a focal point of the conflict and is also the subject of a legal dispute between Ukraine and Russia at the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
Irynka Hromotska
