Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SOF) announced on Tuesday that a key railway bridge over the North Crimean Canal, near the village of Rozdolne, has been destroyed. In a statement posted on Threads, the SOF declared that the bridge “no longer exists,” describing it as the first such structure to be eliminated in the occupied peninsula.
The bridge formed part of a vital transport corridor used by Russian forces to move cargo, resources, and military supplies. According to the SOF, it connected two critical directions: from Russia through Crimea to support operations in the southern direction, including the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson and the Sea of Azov coast.
Strategic Blow to Russian Logistics
The destruction of this railway bridge significantly complicates Moscow’s ability to transport troops, ammunition, and fuel by rail—the backbone of its military logistics in the region. The rail artery linked the Kerch Strait crossing to central and western Crimea, as well as the land corridor to occupied parts of southern Ukraine. With the bridge gone, the movement of goods and personnel along these routes becomes far more difficult.
Ukraine’s SOF revealed that the operation was conducted in coordination with “underground members of the SOF resistance movement,” highlighting the role of local partisans in targeting Russian infrastructure.
In response, Moscow-installed occupation authorities suspended all passenger train services within Crimea. The city of Kerch, at the eastern tip of the peninsula and connected to Russia by the illegally built Kerch Bridge, will now serve as the starting and end point for services to and from the Russian mainland.
Broader Campaign Against Russian Infrastructure
The overnight attack on the bridge was part of a wider operation against Russian military and energy infrastructure, according to Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces. In a separate statement, the SOF said its drones struck 60 Russian targets in temporarily occupied territories, including Crimea, on the night of 23 June. These targets included oil storage tanks at the Kerch thermal power station and the “Western Crimea” electrical substation in the village of Karierne.
Ukrainian forces also reported successful hits on several air defence and radar assets, further degrading Russia’s ability to protect its positions in the region. This campaign follows a series of Ukrainian attacks on ground lines of communication and military and energy sites across annexed Crimea.
The strike comes amid ongoing tensions across Europe, with Russian drone barrages hitting Kyiv and Mykolaiv, sparking major fires. The conflict continues to strain relations between EU member states, as Brussels warns that the Poland-Ukraine spat plays into Putin’s hands.
For Ukraine, the elimination of this railway bridge represents a tangible step in disrupting Russia’s grip on Crimea and its ability to sustain operations in southern Ukraine. The SOF’s statement emphasized that this is only the first such bridge to be destroyed, suggesting further strikes may follow.
