Topline
The Ukrainian military on Thursday claimed it had blown up a bridge in Kharkiv, resulting in the destruction of an “entire column” of Russian forces heading towards the city of Izyum, marking another potential blow to Russian combat power just hours after the flagship of the Russian Navy’s Black Sea fleet sustained heavy damage, forcing its crew to abandon it.
Satellite imagery of tanks on road south of Izyum, Ukraine.
Key Facts
In a Facebook post, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said Russian Tiger, Kamaz, and Ural military vehicles were traveling in the convoy when the bridge was destroyed.
The claimed ambush took place near the strategically important city of Izyum which Russia is attempting to capture as part of an effort to take control of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.
Aerial photos of the purported ambush shared by the Ukrainian military show a destroyed bridge, several charred vehicles and smoke billowing from the area.
Foreign Policy reports that Russia had established multiple military convoys in the Donbas region, including an eight mile convoy north of the city of Izyum.
Both Russia and Ukraine have been reorganizing their forces for what many anticipate will be a crucial battle in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.
Russian officials have not yet responded to Ukraine’s claims about the ambush or about the destruction of an entire column.
Key Background
On Tuesday, Ukrainian forces claimed they had hit the flagship of the Russian Navy’s Black Sea fleet — the guided-missile cruiser “Moskva.” The governor of Ukraine’s Odesa region claims that the 12,500-ton cruiser was struck by two Ukrainian-made Neptune cruise missiles, causing “serious damage.” The Russian defense ministry later confirmed damage to the Black Sea flagship but claimed that it was caused by a fire on board which led to the detonation of onboard ammunition on the ship. Russian officials claimed they were able to evacuate the ship’s entire crew after the incident. It’s unclear if the ship was salvaged by the Russians or if it sank, as the latter would be a massive blow to the Russian Navy’s Black Sea fleet.
Further Reading
One Of Russia’s Biggest Cruisers Just Sank Near Ukraine (Forbes)