Crimean Bridge under siege: Maritime drones spark chaos
On the morning of December 6, Russian occupation authorities in Crimea decided to close the Crimean Bridge for several hours. The Kremlin confirmed that it was attacked by maritime drones. Explosions were heard in various locations, including the city of Kerch, where other important targets chosen by Ukrainians might have been situated. To defend against the drones, the Russians are erecting additional towers next to the bridge, where they are placing their Pantsir-S1 systems.
"An attack by Ukrainian maritime drones is underway in the Kerch Strait. Windows are shaking from the explosions," reported the Crimean Wind channel on Telegram in the morning, also stating that Russian troops were firing at Ukrainian drones from the shore, water, and air.
Another attack on the Crimean Bridge
The same news channel also reported that the actions of the occupying forces seriously disrupted communication in the Kerch and bridge area. As a result, vessels located in this area appeared on interactive maritime maps as if they were on land.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that they managed to shoot down one drone flying over Crimea and eliminate two more maritime drones attacking from the sea. However, the Kremlin remains silent on reports in Ukrainian media suggesting that the shipyard "Zaliv" might have also been targeted in the attack.
Maritime drones: A nightmare for Russians
Maritime drones play a significant role in the clashes on the Black Sea. It is primarily through these unmanned vehicles that Ukrainians have managed to eliminate several valuable Russian ships. The losses were so substantial that the Kremlin decided to relocate the main headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk.
Initially, Ukrainian water drones were mainly improvised constructions with limited capabilities. Over time, however, they developed units such as Sea Baby, Mykola-3, Magura V5 (Maritime Autonomous Guard Unmanned Robotic Apparatus), and the latest Stalker 5.0. These types of unmanned vehicles can carry up to hundreds of pounds of explosives and operate over long distances (over 310 miles).
Turning the bridge area into a fortress
To protect against drones, the Russians are now using not only barges and floating buoys along the bridge but also erecting high towers where they install the Pantsir-S1 air defense system. Another such structure appeared at the beginning of December this year.
