The bridge suffered damage after one of its sections was blown up, killing two people and wounding a child.

Traffic on the single bridge that links Russia to Moscow-annexed Crimea and serves as a key supply route for the Kremlin’s forces in the war with Ukraine came to a standstill on Monday after one of its sections was blown up, killing a couple and wounding their daughter.

The RBC Ukraine news agency reported that explosions were heard on the bridge, with Russian military bloggers reporting two strikes.

RBC Ukraine and another Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda said the attack was planned jointly by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ukrainian navy, and involved sea drones.

  • Clbull@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4515·
    1 year ago

    If it weren’t for Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenaries staging a mutiny against the Russian military, I would have cast serious doubt on Ukraine’s counteroffensive succeeding. Regardless of what you think about the competency of the Russian armed forces, it can’t be denied that Wagner are one of their few effective units in force.

    Ukraine has remained boldly united in the face of a long and a bloody war on their own doorstep, whereas we’ve seen deteriorating Russian morale, both within the country’s borders and on the frontlines.

    At this rate I think that Zelenskyy will retake Crimea and the Donbas within months.

      • shimura@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        1 year ago

        It died when Belarus intervened and brokered a compromise between the Wagner group and Putin. Still unfolding so we still don’t know the full story. Here’s a summary from Business Insider.

        • MercuryUprising@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          1 year ago

          My guess is he got paid off to back down. Putin has a lot of money and probably offered him safety in Belarus as well as a huge chunk of change for him and his troops.

          • Nalivai@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
            1·
            1 year ago

            It’s not exactly about money, Prigozhin has full control over the mercenary company Konkord, which deals in “authoritarian support” and over the years amassed more money and influence then I can even imagine.

          • EhList@lemmy.worldEnglish
            15·
            1 year ago

            They could also force the Russians to the table when the costs become too high for their forces to maintain. Russia can only lose so many to the meat grinder.

              • EhList@lemmy.worldEnglish
                18·
                1 year ago

                Ok and this Simplicus is who exactly? What reason should I accept that they have any knowledge or experience that makes their opinion worth anything at all? Im asking because you are using them as a source and I cannot find anything that shows that they are an informed source.

        • Mirshe@lemmy.worldEnglish
          52·
          1 year ago

          Remember that degraded morale has a compounding effect as well. If a position hears that four other positions near them have failed, they might decide “well fuck it”, and then the positions behind THEM hear “well now five positions have failed” and they scramble, and so on. Combine that with the fact that Russian morale is already reportedly extremely low (who would’ve thought conscripts make shitty and unhappy soldiers).