On the night of June 22, the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) attacked many bridges close to Chongar along the administrative border between Kherson and Crimea. As a result, the Chongar Bridge sustained some damage. The UAF fired four missiles in the direction of the Chongar Bridge, said a representative of the military investigation Committee of the Joint Forces Operation.
According to the preliminary data, there were a total of four missiles that could not be identified. The official stated that during the investigation of the incident site, components of these missiles were collected. One of the components had a factory symbol on it, suggesting that it was manufactured in France, and this was discovered during the investigation. In addition, he reported that one of the missiles hit the roadway on the bridge.
According to a correspondent for RIA Novosti who was on the scene reporting from the incident, the shards of the missiles had the marking “MBDA France” on them, which indicates that the maker of the Franco-British SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles was MBDA France.
In the immediate aftermath of the nighttime attack, experts got to work figuring out whether or not the transportation crossing was still operational. Land transportation to Crimea is temporarily continuing through the other two crossing points while this situation is resolved. Both buses and trucks have changed their routes; the former will now take them to the “Perekop” checkpoint, while the latter will take them to the “Armyansk” checkpoint.
The authorities have made it clear that there would be consequences for anyone who attempts to drive up the price of food.
Damage
A few videos of the destroyed Chongar Bridge have been put online. The bridge was damaged due to the attack on the administrative boundary between the Kherson area and Crimea.
The hit has caused significant damage to the asphalt roadway that runs through the middle of the bridge, as seen in one of the videos. Nobody from the emergency services can be seen on the bridge, which is the location where traffic has been stopped.
Another video shared on a Russian Telegram channel showed the immediate aftermath of the attack on the Chongar Bridge. The individual who uploaded the video claims it was recorded on June 22 at 5:00 AM local time. Almost immediately after the impact, the video shows a cloud of smoke rising above the Chongar Bridge.
The current state of the Chongar Bridge is seen in a second video from Russia. A crater that goes through the middle of the bridge has been created as a direct result of the attack. The integrity of the impact barriers has been broken.
By Pass routes ready
Crimea does not intend to organise pontoon crossings near the damaged Chongar Bridge, according to a statement made today, June 22, by Vladimir Konstantinov, Chairman of the State Council of the Republic, in an interview with “Russia-24.”
Currently, bypass routes through Perekop and Armenian are operational, columns have been organised, and traffic on alternative routes has been restored, according to the statement. The authorities are not currently contemplating pontoon crossings because they have an alternative route currently in use, Konstantinov told Tass.
Location
The Chongar Bridge is a crossing located on the section of regional road 35A-002, which functions as a land corridor from Crimea to the Rostov region via the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions and the Donetsk People’s Republic. This two-lane bridge traverses the Chongar Strait and connects the Chongar Peninsula in the Kherson region to the Dzhankoy District of Crimea, where the Dzhankoy checkpoint is located. The Dzhankoy checkpoint is one of the three crossing points between Crimea and the Kherson region.
On the Novo Alexeyevka-Dzhankoy section, a former railway bridge and a dam across Syvash Bay can be found nearby. A few dozen metres from the current bridge is a non-functional, older automotive bridge. These passages are all currently inactive.
Gateway to Crimea
The first bridge across Chongar was constructed in 1783, following Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, to enhance Crimea’s transport infrastructure. Locals affectionately referred to it as the “gateway to Crimea.” During the Crimean War in the mid-19th century, the bridge served as a supply route for Russian troops. Consequently, it is of great strategic significance.
The Chongar crossing is essentially the second land alternative to the natural Perekop Isthmus near Armyansk, where two other crossing points are located: “Armyansk” and “Perekop.” A malfunction at any of the three crossing locations can disrupt the land corridor’s logistics, primarily used by truck drivers whose access to the Crimean Bridge is restricted.
