Putin faces more grim choices after Crimea bridge damage

The Kerch bridge explosion severely damaged Russia's rail and road links to the Crimean peninsula. As per reports, Russia has already poor supply lines, and its forces are in retreat. The Kerch bridge damage also highlights Russia’s overreliance on the vital railway route, which is very vulnerable to attacks in the future. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the Kerch bridge incident.





Officials announced that limited car traffic had been restored on the Kerch bridge as of Saturday evening. However, trucks are now requested to use ferries to cross the strait. This is a big step back as trucks must rely on rickety ferries and be subject to the weather conditions. The only other route for Russian supplies is dangerous air cargo flights to the region. This incident also puts more pressure on the rail line through Melitopol along the sea coast. A Russian rail hub in Donetsk was also hit on Saturday, likely impacting rail traffic to Donetsk and Luhansk.

FAQs

What were the other attacks by Ukraine that weakened the Russian supply routes?
The earlier attacks were at Izium, leading to the collapse around Kharkiv and Lyman, weakening Russia’s hold of Donetsk and Luhansk.


Why are these attacks pushing Russia to make decisions?
Russia is dependent on an ageing rail network to supply its forces. The patient series of strikes to cripple these supply lines is putting Russia in the position of having to reassess the situation and make decisions on how to proceed.