Stormy seas expose Russian defenses on Crimean Bridge

The Crimean Bridge connects the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula with the Taman Peninsula. This 11-mile-long structure is crucial for the Russian Federation as it provides essential logistics for their army. However, despite continuous attempts to secure the bridge from attacks, natural forces, namely the weather, have also become a factor. Recent heavy storms have weakened the Russians' defensive barges.

Russian defensive structures around the Crimean Bridge are in poor condition, Unian reports. Adverse weather conditions, including storms, have caused damage. The bridge is now exposed, creating an opportunity for Ukrainians to target the structure with surface drones.

"Nature always intervenes," said Dmytro Pletentchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, as quoted by Unian. He emphasized that the storms were expected to lead to the failure of many Russian structures around the bridge.

Occupiers built various structures around the bridge, including sinking protective elements and erecting fences. Currently, many of these structures are not operational, having succumbed to the destructive force of nature. There are no signs of improvement soon, as the storm season is expected to last for a few more months.

It is worth noting that according to analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko, the Crimean Bridge could be used as an escape route for the occupiers from Crimea. Although destroying the bridge is currently impossible due to strong air defenses, new opportunities are emerging.

In the context of the threat posed by surface drones, it should be mentioned that initial Ukrainian models of this type were rather makeshift with limited capabilities. However, engineers have developed models such as Sea Baby, Mykola-3, Magura V5 (known in English as the Maritime Autonomous Guard Unmanned Robotic Apparatus), and the latest Stalker 5.0. These drones can carry explosive loads weighing several hundred pounds and travel distances exceeding 311 miles.