Russia Knows Kerch Bridge To Crimea "Is Doomed," Is Forced To Use Alternates

Against all odds, once again, Ukraine appears to be winning the battle for Crimea against the Russians who once considered the peninsula essential to  logistic support for Russian troops in occupied southern Ukraine and to Russia's national defense. 

The latest attacks on Crimea have made the bridge's vulnerability even more apparent. The Russians are increasingly using new rail lines closer to the Ukrainian border because destruction of the bridge is considered inevitable. JL 

Charlie Bradley reports in the Daily Express:

(Russia's increasing use of) "the railway along the land corridor is recognition on the part of the Russians that the Crimean [Kerch] Bridge is doomed. They are looking for a way to hedge their bets because they are aware that sooner or later, they will have a problem." Ben Hodges, former commander of American forces in Europe said the Ukrainians will “take down the Kerch Bridge when they are ready".Ukraine is plotting to take out the Kerch Bridge connecting occupied Crimea with Russia, in the hope of striking a brutal blow to Vladimir Putin's forces.

That is according to a former US general who believes Ukraine is “systematically in the process of making Ukraine uninhabitable for Russia.

Crimea was taken by Russian soldiers a decade ago. In the current war, it serves as a vital base for Moscow to supply soldiers on the front line.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed in the past that his soldiers will only consider any victory against Russia complete if they reclaim Crimea, as well as the territory taken by Moscow in 2022.

 

Ben Hodges, a former commander of American forces in Europe and a senior adviser to NATO on logistics, said Russian forces have "no place to hide".

Ukraine has launched huge attacks on the Kerch Bridge in the past (Image: Getty)

Speaking to The Economist, he added that the Ukrainians will “take down the Kerch Bridge when they are ready".

Dmitry Pletenchuk, the chief spokesman for Ukraine’s southern military command, said: "The railway along the land corridor is recognition on the part of the Russian occupiers that the Crimean [Kerch] Bridge is doomed.

"They are looking for a way to hedge their bets because they are aware that sooner or later, they will have a problem."

Ukraine has already attacked the Kerch Bridge on several occasions, including in October 2022, when Kyiv forces attached a bomb to a truck.

Crimea is also vital due to its proximity to the Black Sea.