A spokeswoman for the South operational command, Natalia Humeniuk, announced on Monday that Ukrainian troops attacked the Antonov Bridge near Kherson again. It has become practically impossible to repair this Dnieper crossing and use it for military purposes, she added.
– The Russians are trying to restore the functioning of this bridge, but such a (damaged) crossing cannot be repaired with a bucket of concrete. It would require quite a major renovation. That is why we maintain fire control over the Antonowski Bridge and remind us of our presence from a distance – Humeniuk said at the Monday press conference.
The spokeswoman emphasized that the Russians would not be able to repair the facility sufficiently to transport soldiers and military equipment.
According to the UNIAN agency, witnesses of the attack on the bridge said that one of the spans collapsed as a result of the shelling and the fragments “reached the nearby town of Antonivka”. Ukrainian troops were to make about 8-10 strokes. It was also reported that “nine Russian Kamaz trucks with weapons” could be on the bridge at the time of the shelling.
Antonowski Bridge near Kherson. Illustrative photo Shutterstock
Reports of previous attacks
The first reports of Ukrainian attacks on the Antonov Bridge appeared in the second half of July. On July 29, the authorities of the Kherson region announced that the Russian occupiers had launched a ferry crossing over the Dnieper next to the bridge and that they were transferring their military equipment.
Earlier on Monday, the pro-Ukrainian deputy head of the Kherson region council, Serhiy Chlan, announced that the invaders were trying to restore the functioning of the Antonov Bridge and the crossing in Nowa Kakhovka, also damaged by the Ukrainians, but these actions are not bringing the expected results.
– The Antonowski railway bridge is impassable, the occupiers are trying to repair the road connection. They undertake similar activities in Nowa Kachówka, where they secure the bridge with (concrete) slabs. It can be said that the Russians still use this crossing for logistical purposes, but it does not in any way satisfy their needs – reported Chłań.
“Control of the Dnieper crossings is likely to become a key factor in the outcome of the fighting in the Kherson region,” assessed the British Ministry of Defense on 20 July.
Main photo source: Reuters