In a strategic move aimed at amplifying the territory under its control, Ukraine has been actively targeting key infrastructure in the Kursk Oblast of southeastern Russia. Over the past four days, Ukrainian forces have successfully destroyed four crucial bridges, including three major concrete structures.
The Seym River, which flows westward through Kursk Oblast, separates a significant area of nearly 300 square miles from the border with Ukraine. On August 6, a robust Ukrainian force, comprising several brigades and independent battalions supported by additional units, crossed into Kursk. In response, the Ukrainian army and air force launched a concerted effort to neutralize the bridges spanning the Seym River, destroying three of them to date.
The Ukrainian strategy is evident: by targeting these bridges, they aim to isolate a substantial portion of Kursk Oblast, particularly the area west of the Seym River and south of the 300-square-mile invasion zone. This tactic is intended to gain control over the southern part of Kursk Oblast, as noted by the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies.
In reaction to these attacks, Russian forces are rapidly constructing new bridges to maintain logistical connectivity. However, these temporary pontoon bridges are even more vulnerable than the permanent structures they replace.
The destruction began on Friday when Ukrainian rockets, reportedly launched from U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, brought down the concrete bridge in Glushkovo, located 26 miles west of Sudzha, the focal point of the Ukrainian offensive. The following day, Ukrainian air strikes took out a second bridge in Zvannoe, seven miles west of Glushkovo. The third bridge, situated in Karyzh to the west of Zvannoe, was demolished on Monday.
Commander of Ukrainian Air Force Mykola Oleshchuk shared footage of the destruction of another bridge over river Seim in the Kursk region. This has a significant impact on enemy logistics in the bridgehead. pic.twitter.com/LPJjUfgEuN
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) August 18, 2024
Russian engineers responded swiftly by erecting a floating pontoon bridge near Glushkovo on Friday and another between Glushkovo and Zvannoe by Saturday. While pontoon bridges are a practical short-term solution, they lack the durability and capacity of permanent bridges, making them more susceptible to destruction.
There is evidence suggesting that one of these temporary pontoon bridges may have already been compromised. Data from NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System satellites indicates that a fire was detected at one of the pontoon bridge locations on Monday.
It remains uncertain how many additional bridges—permanent or temporary—Ukrainian forces will need to destroy to effectively isolate the targeted region of Kursk Oblast. However, it appears they have made substantial progress. Commercial satellite imagery suggests that the three permanent bridges hit between Friday and Monday were the only major crossings in the area. It is possible that Russian forces are now entirely dependent on the more vulnerable pontoon bridges to cross the Seym River.
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