Russia may be forced to transport military equipment, fuel across Kerch Bridge – Navy spokesman

Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk stated this on national television, Ukrinform reports.

"I think we will eventually see a point when they are truly under pressure and will have no choice but to start transporting hazardous cargo across the bridge," Pletenchuk said. "There are serious restrictions in place regarding fuel shipments and railway transportation, both for safety reasons and because of the damage the so-called Crimean Bridge suffered in the past."

In his opinion, once Russia runs short of fuel for its military vehicles and exhausts its reserves of military equipment, it will be compelled to rely on this logistical route as well.

Pletenchuk noted that ferry transportation is currently unavailable to Russia because railway ferries have been damaged or destroyed. Conventional ferries, he said, are incapable of handling the required cargo volumes, while railway ferry services are not operating.

Commenting on reports that Russia is redeploying drone and electronic warfare operators from the eastern front to protect the Crimea-Rostov highway, Pletenchuk said the route is critical not only for supplying Crimea and Russian forces stationed there, but also for supporting Russian troop groupings in occupied parts of southern Ukraine, including the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

As reported, Ukraine's Navy struck two Russian boats guarding the Kerch Bridge on April 30.