KYIV, Ukraine – The Antonivsky Bridge, the main bridge over the Dnipro River in the city of Kherson, was blown up before dawn on Friday after most Russian forces withdrew and shortly before Ukrainian forces entered the city. .
Videos and pictures Posting on social media showed that the bridge was badly damaged. The cause of the explosion is still unknown. Rybar, an unofficial but influential pro-war Russian military blog, reports that retreating Russian forces destroyed it at 5 a.m., posting footage they say shows the attack. gong defeated it.
One Kherson resident, who asked to be identified by his first name Ivan for security reasons, said in a text message that he heard a powerful explosion just before dawn. . It was unlike anything he had heard in months of fighting.
“It was very foggy in the morning and we couldn’t see much, but people in Antonivka say that the roofs of houses have been washed away by the blast waves,” said Ivan, referring to the area around the bridge.
The apparent destruction of the bridge left any remaining Russians in the city with only a network of ferries and distinctive pontoon bridges across the river. The other major intersection is located 50 miles to the north, at the Kakhovka Dam.
Ukrainian troops are entering the dam from the north, but as of Friday afternoon, it appears to remain under the control of Russian forces.
Control of the riverbanks and the bridges over them proved an important factor throughout the war. The most important of these is the Antonivsky Bridge.
It used to be the main transit route for Russian supplies coming from Crimea, where Moscow was annexed in 2014to Kherson, the only major city Moscow captured after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion in February.
When Ukraine began its counter-offensive to the south in late August, it began targeting the bridge as part of a broader effort to isolate Russian forces west of the Dnipro River, which runs along the east coast. length of Ukraine and divides it into east and west.
As Western long-range weapon systems emerged repeatedly, Ukraine attacked Russian munitions depots and command and control centers behind the front lines, weakening Russia’s ability to hold in the area.
Throughout, it sought to keep the bridge under Ukrainian control, making it difficult and risky for the Russians to move large amounts of equipment or forces across the span. The Ukrainian military was careful not to destroy it, apparently wanting to preserve it, partly in pursuit of retreating Russian forces.
Residents say that the destruction of the bridge shows the belief that Moscow’s troops will not return anytime soon. Locals said that Russian troops could attack the city from across the river, but the occupation seems to have ended.
Hours after the bridge was blown up, people took to the streets, flags in hand, waiting for the arrival of the Ukrainian Army.
