Russian forces consider withdrawal from Crimea after strikes on Chonhar bridge – intelligence

Representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate Andriy Yusov said this in an interview with Radio Liberty.

“One of the realistic scenarios that the invading Russian forces are considering for themselves is to leave Crimea. Many representatives of the occupation administration and command, realizing this, have already taken their families out. They also took their assets out,” Yusov said.

In addition, according to him, a number of enterprises in the occupied Crimea are preparing for evacuation.

“A number of occupation enterprises in the Ukrainian Crimea are preparing for evacuation, including collecting documents for transportation to the territory of the Russian Federation,” said the intelligence representative.

In addition, according to him, looking at the trenches that Russian troops are digging in Crimea, one can see that a significant part of them are located far from the border with mainland Ukraine.

“Therefore, yes, this is a scenario that they are considering for themselves and understand its realism,” he said.

Explosion on Chonhar bridge

On the night of June 22, Russian troops reported an explosion on the Chonhar bridge near the temporarily occupied Crimea.

According to Kherson-based collaborator Volodymyr Saldo, the attack was allegedly carried out by a British Storm Shadow missile. The road surface on the bridge was damaged, and there were no casualties. He later threatened to strike bridges in the Odesa region.

The Main Intelligence Directorate said that this is a systematic work of the Defense Forces and guerrillas who are waiting for the return of the Ukrainian government to Crimea.

For reference

The Chonhar bridge crosses the Syvash Bay on the Novooleksiivka-Dzhankoi stretch. In 2014, in response to Russia's occupation of Crimea, the Ukrainian government ordered the replacement of the old and new bridges on the Ukrainian side.

On April 25, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff stated that the Chonhar bridge had been mined, but that the Ukrainian military was confronted by forces that outnumbered them 15 to 1. Earlier, information was spread that Chonhar had allegedly been de-mined before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.