The reopening of a bridge in Kherson Region was delayed following renewed attacks by Kiev’s forces
FILE PHOTO: Military vehicles cross a river on a pontoon bridge during the ARMY 2019 International Military and Technical Forum, in Alabino, Moscow region, Russia. © Sputnik / Alexey Kudenko
Russian forces are constructing a pontoon bridge across the Dnepr river in Kherson Region in southern Ukraine amid renewed shelling from Kiev’s forces, Kirill Stremousov, the deputy head of the local administration, told TASS on Monday.
The crossing will be used as a backup for the damaged Antonovsky bridge, which is a strategically important site. “The pontoon crossing will consist of barges which will not sink even if struck by a Ukrainian shell,” Stremousov explained.
“This will be a single pontoon that people will be able to drive through,” he noted.
The re-opening of the Antonovsky bridge was supposed to take place on Wednesday, but it was delayed after Ukrainian forces renewed their attempts to destroy it on Sunday night. The attack struck equipment brought to the site to repair damage from previous artillery strikes, such as a concrete mixer and a temporary shack, and has created new gaps in the bridge’s structure, Stremousov said.
However, the official claims the bridge has not sustained any “critical damage” and has described the incident as “nothing terrible.” He has stated that the planned reopening of the bridge for traffic is being delayed only slightly.
According to various sources, including the Ukrainian media, the attack was carried out with US-supplied HIMARS multiple-launch rocket systems.
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Ukraine renews strikes on key bridge
The Antonovsky bridge is a strategically crucial connection between the Russian-controlled city of Kherson and the rest of southern Ukraine. The bridge has been closed ever since Kiev’s forces launched repeated attempts to destroy the crossing several weeks ago.