Defense forces struck a bridge and military facilities in Crimea
On the night of July 3, the Ukrainian Defense Forces launched a series of strikes against military targets belonging to the Russian occupiers in Crimea and other temporarily occupied territories. According to the General Staff, the strikes targeted a railway bridge used to transport troops, as well as electronic warfare facilities and command posts.
The General Staff notes that the operation was aimed at disrupting the Russian army’s military logistics. Some of the results have already been confirmed, while information on the extent of other damages is still being verified.
The main target of the nighttime operation was the railway bridge across the Krasnogvardeisky Canal in the Krasnogvardeisky area of the temporarily occupied Crimea. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian troops used this bridge to transport personnel, ammunition, weapons, and logistical supplies.
The military is currently assessing the exact extent of the damage to the structure. At the same time, the General Staff emphasizes that the bridge played a crucial role in supplying the Russian forces on the peninsula. In addition to the bridge, the Ukrainian military struck several other key targets of the occupying forces. Specifically, the following were hit:
- an electronic warfare station near Artemivka;
- a Russian electronic intelligence unit in Sevastopol;
- a drone control center in the Ukrainka area of Donetsk Oblast;
- an enemy command post near Novhorod in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The General Staff emphasized that all of these facilities were used to support the Russian army’s combat operations. The Ukrainian military also reported confirmed results of previous strikes.
Specifically, the destruction of two spans of a road bridge near Azovske in Zaporizhzhia Oblast—which was struck on June 29—has been confirmed. In addition, damage to three spans of the bridge across the Kalka River near Granitne in the Donetsk region has been confirmed following an attack on July 1. The General Staff notes that such strikes are intended to hinder the movement of Russian troops, equipment, and ammunition in the occupied territories.
Earlier that same day, the Security Service of Ukraine reported another successful operation. According to the SBU, the Saki military airfield in occupied Crimea was attacked for the second time in a week. Hangars at the Gvardeyskoye airfield were also hit. According to preliminary information, seven hangars at the Saki airfield were hit; these hangars housed Su-30SM, Su-30, and Su-24 fighter jets and frontline bombers.
The security service stated that “at least seven aircraft were destroyed or damaged.” This information currently requires independent confirmation. The General Staff emphasizes that the Ukrainian Defense Forces will continue to strike military infrastructure that Russia is using to wage war against Ukraine. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Roman Svitan, a reserve colonel in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a military expert, believes that the Ukrainian Defense Forces’ operation in occupied Crimea has entered a new phase. According to him, following strikes on Russian air defense systems and logistics, the main targets are now military facilities, energy infrastructure, and infrastructure supporting the occupying forces.
