In the early hours of June 18, Ukrainian drones hit a railway bridge over the North Crimean Canal, located near the village of Razdolne (Sovetsky district) in the northeastern part of the occupied Crimean peninsula, Kyiv Independent reported.
Witnesses reported about 20 explosions and a strong fire, kyivindependent.com reported.
This bridge is a critical logistical point for transporting military cargo, and the attack has the potential to paralyze cargo traffic to Russian troops on the southern front.
According to the monitoring group Crimean Wind and information from Kyiv Independent, this facility is a critical piece of Russia's military infrastructure. The line is used intensively for the transport of Russian military cargo, heavy equipment and ammunition to the occupied southern parts of Ukraine.
The strike is expected to seriously paralyze freight and passenger rail traffic in this direction.
After the explosions, a large-scale fire broke out at the site, which was visible for kilometers. Information from local sources indicates that in addition to the railway facility, the nearby automobile so-called “humpback“ bridge was also hit. The extent of its damage is currently being clarified.
Sources note that earlier in the same area the Ukrainian Forces for Unmanned Systems successfully attacked a Russian locomotive. There were also reports of a brief suspension of traffic on the large Kerch (Crimean) bridge, connecting Russia directly to the peninsula, due to the activation of Russian air defense against sea and air drones in the area.
The General Staff of Ukraine confirmed that in parallel night operations yesterday, two road bridges in the Kherson region were successfully hit - one over the North Crimean Canal near the village of Stavki and the second in the area of the village of Voinka. The goal is complete isolation of Russian supply routes.
The Russian-appointed mayor of Energodar (where the Zaporozhye NPP is located) reported on Telegram about Ukrainian strikes on Wednesday, which killed one person and injured four.
Local authorities in the border region of Belgorod also reported a man killed after a drone hit a car on Wednesday.
In recent days, Ukraine has carried out a wave of attacks with over 150-250 drones, reaching deep into Russia's rear - including a fire at a large oil refinery near Moscow (Kapotnya) and the closure of airports. Military analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) note that Ukraine is deliberately increasing pressure on Russian logistics (fuel and bridges) to make it difficult to move equipment to the front.