Russia still uses Crimea bridge militarily, expands logistics in occupied areas

Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said this on air.

"The Russians are indeed trying very hard to protect the Crimean bridge. That’s probably the only reason it still stands. The bridge holds not only logistical but also significant ideological value for the occupiers," said Pletenchuk.

According to the spokesperson, despite the intense security preparations around the bridge, the occupying Russian forces are also preparing for the possibility of its complete destruction.

"The Russians continue to use the Crimea bridge as intended. However, they cannot operate it at full, projected capacity. One way or another, they use the road section of this combined bridge crossing to move personnel, equipment, and supplies to support their forces in Crimea. 

Still, they fully understand the bridge remains a target, which is why they’re investing in logistics infrastructure in the temporarily occupied territories in the south of our country. They’re trying to link routes from Rostov-on-Don to the Zaporizhzhia region and all the way to occupied Crimea," he added.

• The density of deployed air defense systems in the temporarily occupied Crimea is higher than in some Russian regions, as the peninsula is logistically valuable to Moscow.