British intelligence analyzes the attack by the Ukrainian armed forces against the ferry crossing to and from Crimea, carried out at the end of May in its latest report on the social network X.
On May 29, Ukrainian missile attacks damaged two cargo rail ferries on the Crimean side of the Kerch Strait crossing, rendering them inoperable.
As noted by the UK Ministry of Defence, these rail ferries almost certainly served as the primary means of rail transport of Russian fuel and ammunition cargoes into Crimea due to the tight security measures imposed on the Kerch Bridge.
Russia also uses cargo ferries to help move heavy cargo through the Kerch Strait, which resumed operations after the strikes.
"Reduced rail capacity almost certainly led to a temporary halt to Russian military logistics operations and potentially fuel supplies to Crimea,” said the British intelligence report.
Latest Defense Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 06 June 2024.
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However, Russia will almost certainly be forced to replace its rail ferry service as quickly as possible, which is likely to affect its wider maritime logistics operations. Otherwise, it will be forced to ease restrictions on the use of the railway part of the Crimean bridge for the transportation of fuel and explosive cargo.
The report notes that the Ukrainian strike on ferry terminals and the subsequent strike on a nearby oil terminal once again demonstrates the vulnerability of the Kerch Strait to Ukrainian weapons, despite Russia's significant investment in security and air defense of the sea route.