Ukraine strikes bridges in Crimea with NATO-supplied missiles

Ukraine has launched a barrage of British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles at two bridges connecting the Crimean Peninsula to Russia’s Kherson Region, according to its acting governor, Vladimir Saldo.

Some 12 missiles were fired during Saturday's attack, with at least three making it through Russian anti-aircraft defenses, Saldo told Rossiya 24 TV channel. The strike damaged two bridges across the Strait of Chongar and the Tonkiy Strait, the official stated.

The Chongar bridge sustained at least one hit, according to the acting governor, who shared imagery of the aftermath of the attack on his Telegram channel. The missile left a large hole in the bridge deck paving, images show.

The attack damaged a rural school and ruptured a local gas pipeline, leaving the nearby town of Genichesk without supply, according to Saldo. Both bridges have hardly been used for military needs and are purely civilian infrastructure installations, he stressed.

While Saldo did not elaborate on the damage sustained by the second bridge, unverified footage circulating online suggests one of its sections has partially collapsed. The images show a gas pipeline running alongside the bridge, ruptured and aflame.

The bridges linking the northern part of the Crimean Peninsula and Kherson Region were targeted by Ukraine in another major attack back in June. At the time, the Chongar bridge sustained considerable damage and ended up shut down for several weeks during repairs.