Thousands of Russian troops stationed west of Ukraine’s Dnieper river have been left vulnerable as Ukrainian forces have cut off most eastern supply routes, the UK Ministry of Defense said on Saturday. British intelligence has assessed that two main bridges in the occupied Kherson region can no longer be used to transport heavy military vehicles after Ukrainian precision strikes again targeted one of the crossings on Wednesday. “Russia has only achieved superficial repairs to the damaged Antonovsky road bridge, which likely remains structurally compromised,” the British intelligence briefing said. Ukrainian infantry train on May 9, 2022, near Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine. (John Moore/Getty Images) UKRAINE CENSORES KEY BRIDGE ‘DESTROYING’ RUSSIAN PLANS FOR ‘PROGRESS’ SOUTH Ukrainian forces began targeting major passes relied on by Russian forces in the region for supply routes and access to the Crimean peninsula last month. A railway line is also believed to have been damaged beyond use. Russian troops have since been forced to rely on pontoon bridges to ferry men and supplies across the river that separates Ukraine’s southwestern regions from Crimea. “Even if Russia manages to make significant repairs to the bridges, they will remain a key vulnerability,” the British Ministry of Defense estimated. “Ground supply for the many thousands of Russian troops on the west bank almost certainly depends on just two ferry crossings.” The ministry said that with reduced supply lines, Russian troops will be forced to rely on any reserves they have built up west of the Dnieper River, which “will likely be a key factor in force endurance.” A view shows the damaged Antonivskyi Bridge in the wake of the bombing, in Kherson, Ukraine, in this screenshot taken from a social media video released July 27, 2022. (Ukrinform/via REUTERS) UKRAINE EXPORTS RUSSIAN AMMUNITION RAILWAY CONNECTING KHERSON TO CRIMEA Ukrainian defense officials said its forces would launch a major offensive along the front line in the east and south as they try to push back Russian forces. Details of the offensive remain unclear, but advances made by Ukrainian troops in recent weeks in areas such as Kherson suggest some aspects of the offensive have begun. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tried to shut down hints of what the attack would look like in a late-night speech on Thursday, saying it was “frankly irresponsible” to discuss military plans to make headlines. Ukrainian artillerymen at the military assembly center check weapons and special equipment to prepare them before going to duty on the front line in Kherson, Ukraine on July 15, 2022. (Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The general rule is simple: war is definitely not the time for vanity and loud statements,” he said specifically addressing “all representatives of the state and local authorities.” “The less concrete details you give about our defense plans, the better it will be for the implementation of those defense plans,” he added. Caitlin McFall is a reporter for Fox News Digital. She can be reached at [email protected] or @ctlnmcfall on Twitter.
