The country’s maritime trade has already been crippled amid an escalation of mutual long-range strikes
A key bridge serving as a strategic link for transporting cargo from Romania into Ukraine has reportedly been seriously damaged in recent Russian strikes.
The reports of damage to the Zatoka Bridge, which have not been confirmed by officials, come amid a major escalation in mutual attacks on logistics infrastructure. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky initiated the exchanges last month when he announced a 40-day “pressure campaign” against Russia. Moscow’s retaliatory strikes have already paralyzed direct maritime shipments to and from Ukraine through the Black Sea.
The overnight attack on the bridge in Ukraine’s Odessa Region reportedly caused one of its sections to collapse. Russian military-themed online outlets published footage on Monday morning that they claimed showed the nighttime strikes and the damage recorded the following morning.
The bridge is crucial for cargo transported to and from Ukraine through Romanian ports. The route, an alternative to direct shipments through ports in Odessa and Nikolaev Regions, has limited capacity but remained operational after commercial companies were deterred from using Ukrainian ports by the threat of Russian attacks.
The Russian Defense Ministry reports strikes in and around Odessa and Nikolaev almost daily, saying it is targeting Ukrainian military logistics. Its latest statement on Monday morning said drones had hit three cargo vessels in the sea and another ship moored in Nikolaev.
The previous night, Russian forces reportedly struck one seagoing vessel and two transport ships in Nikolaev, as well as a tugboat that the military said Ukrainian forces had converted into a platform for launching naval drones.
No extra Patriot interceptors expected
Ukrainian officials have touted the escalation of long-range strikes against Russian oil refineries, civilian warehouses, and transport infrastructure as a potential game changer in the four-year conflict. At the same time, they have complained that shortages of Western-supplied air defenses have left the country vulnerable to retaliation, particularly from ballistic missiles.
During his visit to the US last week, Zelensky urged President Donald Trump to supply an additional 300 Patriot missile interceptors before the winter.
There has been no indication that the request will be met, even if European donors agree to finance the deliveries. The US stockpile of interceptors was reportedly significantly depleted during the war with Iran.
In a video address over the weekend, former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba told Ukrainians that there “no protection from ballistic missiles is available or would be available anytime soon.”
He advised people to run to shelters when they see an incoming ballistic missile. The recommendation, which was widely impractical because of the speed of such weapons, was removed from a later version of his remarks.
Transport disruption leaves businesses ‘desperate’
MP Daniil Getmantsev, a member of Zelensky’s ruling party, said in a recent interview that Ukrainian business owners are “desperate” over the growing disruption to the country’s transport industry. He compared the negative sentiment among businesses to that seen when the conflict escalated in 2022.
There were reports of diesel fuel rationing in Ukraine amid a harvest campaign, granaries overflowing due to suspension of maritime exports and metal refineries shutting down due to rising costs.
The economic pressure is compounding tensions over forced mobilization, which has become a major source of discontent in Ukrainian society. Human rights ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets has warned that the country has almost reached “the boiling point” and that people may soon begin lynching conscription officials.
