Video Appears To Show Key Bridge Destroyed by Ukraine

Footage has emerged appearing to show the aftermath of a Ukrainian strike against a key bridge that has further cut off Russian troops in Kherson.

Social media users said that the video circulated on Saturday showed the remains of the Antonovsky railway bridge over the Dnipro River, which is near the scene of a Ukrainian counter-offensive by the southwestern city.

On Tuesday, the Antonovsky road bridge was heavily damaged following Ukrainian rocket fire from the US-supplied M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems or HIMARS.

The inability for vehicles to use the bridge dealt a blow to Russian forces as it meant it could not be used to resupply their troops across the river, cutting them off from its right bank and potentially stranding them from the rest of Ukraine’s occupied territory.

On Saturday, the British Ministry of Defense said that Russian forces were likely to have set up two pontoon bridges and a ferry system to compensate for Tuesday strikes.

But the damaged railway bridge next to it will deal a further blow to Russia, cutting them off from Kherson, which Moscow’s troops seized soon after they invaded on February 24.

“Damage to the railway Antonovsky bridge in the Kherson region,” tweeted social media channel covering the war, Trukha along with the video in which someone shows the mangled tracks and holes in the construction.

“There appear to have been 2 near misses and 1 or 2 direct HIMARs impacts on the bridge. No trains will be crossing that in the near future,” wrote Oliver Alexander, who tweets about Open Source Intelligence.

“Ukrainian HIMARS strike has destroyed the Antonovsky railway bridge, one of the three tracks that connected the Russian invaders in Kherson with the “mainland,” tweeted World on Alert.

“Visual confirmation that the railway bridge near the Antonovsky Bridge has been severely damaged,” tweeted user Tendar, “Kherson is basically cut off.” Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian and Russian defense ministries for comment on the unverified video.

HIMARS strikes have changed the calculus on the battlefield according to a Pentagon official who said on Friday that they have hampered Russia’s war effort and bid for aerial supremacy.

Putting the road bridge out of action was a “huge” boost to Ukraine’s efforts to retake Kherson, according to Retired US Army major John Spencer

Before news of the railway line strike was reported, he told Times Radio on Thursday that it would give the Ukrainians “the ability to make sure the Russians can’t get reinforcements, resupply or withdraw, because the Russians really like to run when they get …surrounded.”