As of mid-August 2023, russian forces were continuing to employ pontoon bridges at Chonhar and Henichesk crossing points on the border between the south of Ukraine and temporarily occupied Crimea, the UK Defense Intelligence reports. Both permanent bridges sustained damage from Ukrainian precision strikes in early August 2023.
The pontoon bridges are unlikely to be able to fully sustain the flow of heavy vehicles carrying ammunition and weaponry to the front.
Read more: The UK Defense Intelligence: russia Constructed a Pontoon Bridge for Military Traffic After the Attack on Chonhar Bridges
The resulting bottlenecks mean russian forces are partially reliant on a long diversion via Armiansk, northern Crimea. This is adding further friction to russia’s logistics network in the south.
Read more: Chonhar Bridges are Cut: Strategic Importance of the Bottleneck Bridges to Crimea and What Weapon Could Have Struck Them
