Satellite images show Russian bridges destroyed after Ukrainian strikes

The satellite images, which were captured last month but were only released on Saturday, show the aftermath of the Ukrainian attacks on a road bridge and two pontoon bridges in Kursk.

The Ukrainians “continue to hamper Russian logistics in the Kursk region with a series of strikes that have destroyed road bridges and pontoons across the Seym River,” the British Ministry of Defense wrote in an intelligence update.

Russia can use its floating pontoon bridges, which are temporary, to transport personnel and military equipment across the Seym. These bridges came into play as Ukrainian strikes took out some of the more permanent structures.

The Ukrainian Air Force played a key role in the campaign targeting the bridges.

“Kursk direction. Still minus one bridge!” The Ukrainian Air Force wrote in a Telegram statement on August 18 after a strike.

“Air Force aviation continues to deprive the enemy of logistical capabilities with accurate air strikes, which significantly affects the course of hostilities!” he added.

The campaign targeting the bridges highlights how Ukraine was able to use air power to support its ground forces in Kursk. Kiev struggled throughout the war to carry out combined arms operations like these in other areas of the front line.

Ukraine also used ground-launched weapons such as the US-supplied High Mobility Missile Artillery System, or HIMARS, to strike the Kursk bridges.

Ukraine stunned the Kremlin and the international community in early August when it suddenly launched an invasion of Kursk, marking the biggest assault on Russian soil by a foreign enemy since World War II.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday that Ukraine had maintained control of up to 900 square kilometers – about 350 square miles – of territory in Kursk since mid-August.

Questions remain as to whether he can keep his gains. Russia recently launched counteroffensive operations at Kursk. The British Ministry of Defense said Moscow was likely to retake several villages in the region through these efforts, which were led by airborne and naval infantry forces.

Ukraine continues to express its commitment. “Every day, unwavering attention is paid to the front line and our operation in the Kursk region,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskii said in an address to the nation on Sunday, according to a transcript of his remarks. “We are continuing our active operations and it is critical that the ‘swimming pool’ for us, for our state, is replenished.”