The bridge named “Chonhar” is dubbed the “Gateway to Crimea” as it is one of the shortest routes linking the Crimean Peninsula (annexed by Moscow in 2014) and southern Ukraine, which has become a primary confrontation line since Russia declared war on Ukraine in 2022.
Since the start of the war, this bridge has become a crucial route used by Russians to move between the peninsula and Ukrainian territories under Russian control. It also serves as a key crossing point to supply Russian forces in southern Ukraine with equipment, ammunition, and other provisions, placing the bridge on the list of military targets by Ukrainian forces.
History of Chonhar Bridge
After the Russian Empire annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 1783, a series of infrastructure projects aimed at improving transportation in the region began. By the early 19th century, the construction of the Chonhar bridge was completed to provide a secondary land route to the Crimean Peninsula alongside the Perekop Isthmus, connecting Crimea with Ukraine.
During the Crimean War that erupted in the 1850s between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire, the strategic importance of the Chonhar bridge increased significantly for the Russian army, providing a vital supply route.
Due to its strategic importance, the Ukrainian army attacked the Chonhar bridge during the Crimean Operation in the Soviet-Russian War in 1918.
The bridge also played a strategic role during the German-Soviet War days, where the Soviets established several defense sites and structures on its sides.
Several kilometers west in the Sevastopol region, a railway bridge bearing the name “Chonhar Bridge” – similar to the road bridge – consists of two tracks and spans a dam crossing the Syvash River.
However, since December 27, 2014, the Ukrainian government has suspended railway operations on the bridge due to Russia’s annexation of Crimea, dismantling the railway tracks and covering them with barbed wire to prevent their use by Russians, leading to it being referred to as the “Old Chonhar Bridge.”
The new Chonhar Bridge is located north of the old bridge on the highway in the Chonhar Strait, hosting another important bridge, the Kherson Bridge, which connects the Ukrainian city of Kherson (now controlled by Russia).
The suspension of the railway line was not the only measure taken by the Ukrainian government after Russia’s annexation of Crimea; they also laid mines on the Ukrainian side of many bridges connecting mainland Ukraine with the Crimean Peninsula, including the Chonhar bridge. This strategy successfully prevented Russian forces from expanding beyond the Crimean Peninsula.
Russian War on Ukraine
Acts of mining the Chonhar bridge did not stop in 2014, as they resumed at the onset of the Russian war on Ukraine on April 25, 2022. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced that the Chonhar bridge was mined, particularly following Russian advances.
Despite subsequent claims stating that the bridge had been cleared of mines, the General Staff denied such reports.
Damage to the Chonhar Bridge on June 22, 2023 (Reuters)
Since the start of the war on Ukraine, the Chonhar bridge has witnessed several incidents, beginning on August 10, 2022, when a fire broke out near the southern end of the bridge due to an explosion in the nearby Chonhar area.
Reports also emerged of a Ukrainian military counterattack in the area on June 22, 2023, targeting the bridge with British “Storm Shadow” missiles. Russian media cited investigators claiming that Ukrainian forces launched four missiles at the bridge.
As the Chonhar bridge is one of the few land links with Ukraine, connecting the Crimean Peninsula to Russian-controlled parts of southern Kherson, targeting the bridge posed a significant logistical challenge for the Russians in the war.
The Ukrainian attacks on the bridge continued, and on the morning of July 29, 2023, the Ukrainian army launched an attack on Russian positions near the bridge, disrupting Russian logistics operations, particularly the transport of weapons and food supplies.
Moreover, on August 6, 2023, Ukrainian Air Force deployed Su-24 fighter aircraft to launch Storm Shadow missiles at the Chonhar and Henichesky bridges, resulting in severe destruction to both bridges.
Impact of the Attack on Chonhar on Russian Logistics
According to a report by the American Institute for War Studies, the strikes on the bridges, crucial for supplying Russian forces in the southward direction, are part of the Ukrainian siege campaign aiming to create specific conditions for a decisive counterattack operation. Hence, the Chonhar bridge became a key target for the Ukrainians.
According to Natalia Yumeniuk, spokesperson for the Southern Operations Command in the Ukrainian army, the strikes on bridges in Chonhar, Henichesk, and Crimea have indeed hindered Russia’s ability to effectively provide ammunition, equipment, and manpower to combat sites, negatively impacting the number of attacks Russia could launch against Ukraine.
To comprehend the impact of targeting sites like the Chonhar bridge, it is essential to note that Russia uses the Crimean Peninsula as a primary ammunition storage base, with the bridge serving as a vital supply route for resources along the entire communication line in southern Ukraine.
