finance
Ukraine Destroys Road and Rail Bridges Supplying Crimea
Ukrainian forces have destroyed multiple road and rail bridges used by Russian forces in occupied areas, including routes to Crimea. The strikes used long-range drones and cruise missiles targeting bridge supports.
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Ukrainian forces have destroyed several road and rail bridges in Russian-occupied territory, focusing on routes supplying Crimea. The attacks occurred throughout June and represent an increase in strikes compared to prior years. The operations used Fire Point FP-2 drones carrying 350-pound warheads and Destinus Ruta missiles carrying 500-pound warheads.
Both systems employ precision guidance to target bridge supports rather than road surfaces.
22, Ukrainian drones struck a railway bridge over the North Crimean Canal near Rozdolne. The next day, drones returned after repair equipment arrived, destroying the equipment and collapsing the remaining structure. A double road bridge at Hranitne was also hit. Reports differ on the number of FP-2 drones used, with one account citing 20 drones and another citing three.
The FP-2 is a modified version of the FP-1 drone with increased warhead capacity and reduced range. It uses operator guidance similar to FPV drones and costs approximately $55,000 each. The Ruta missile reaches speeds of around 600 mph and uses AI-based target recognition.
It has a range exceeding 400 miles and costs around $400,000. Dr. Jack Watling of RUSI stated that multiple bridges have been targeted using these systems.
