Occupants again use the Kerch bridge to transport fuel

The occupiers have started transporting fuel across the Kerch bridge again.

This conclusion was made by ISW analysts.

Thus, it is noted that footage from June 8 shows that Russia has begun transporting fuel across the Kerch Strait via a railway bridge.

Earlier, the spokesman for the Southern Operational Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Dmytro Pletenchuk, said that the Russian authorities have not been transporting fuel through the Kerch Strait since March 2024 due to the threat of a Ukrainian strike on the bridge during the passage of fuel transport, which could catch fire and possibly destroy the bridge. The Independent also wrote that images taken by satellite specialists Maxar, which were analyzed by Molfar and sent to The Independent, show that almost no military freight trains have been running on the bridge's rail line for three months. During this period, only one Russian freight train was spotted crossing the bridge on February 29, carrying about 55 railroad cars of fuel.

It is also reported that the Ukrainian military publication Militarny concluded on June 10 that Ukrainian strikes on rail barges across the Kerch Strait on May 30 prompted Russian authorities to resume transporting fuel across the rail bridge.

Video: "Militarny"

The ISW notes that it is unclear whether the Russian authorities will continue to use the Kerch Strait railroad bridge to transport fuel and logistics to the occupied Crimea in the short to medium term.

"This will likely alleviate some logistical constraints as Russia tries to compensate for lost ferries across the strait, but will make the Kerch Strait bridge increasingly vulnerable to strikes from Ukraine, especially if Russian air defense of Crimea deteriorates as Atesh reported," the report said.

The analysts also noted that, according to the Ukrainian guerrilla movement Atesh, which is based in Crimea, strikes on Russian military and logistical facilities in the Belgorod region may have forced Russian forces to change their deployment and transportation patterns. On June 10, Atesh reported that Russian troops had recently relocated air defense systems from occupied Crimea to Belgorod Oblast. As a result, Russian air defense does not fully cover Crimea.

Володимир Шкаєв