Crash on the railway bridge over the North Crimean Canal: satellite images appeared

An extensive attack attributed to Ukraine has struck the Kerch Strait, affecting critical infrastructure on both sides of the waterway. The assault targeted energy facilities, logistical hubs, and military installations in Crimea and southern Russia, leading to widespread fires and significant disruptions. According to reports from local monitoring channels and eyewitness accounts, multiple strategic sites were hit during the night of Saturday into Sunday.

The attacks have resulted in intense fires visible from space, particularly around the port of Kerch in occupied Crimea. Thick plumes of smoke rose above oil terminals and fuel storage facilities, indicating substantial damage. Satellite imagery analyzed by independent monitoring groups shows that one of the fire outbreaks occurred at the TES Terminal, which handles the transfer and storage of petroleum products and liquefied natural gas. Another fire was reported at the AEGAZ-Terminal, specialized in handling liquefied natural gas. On the Russian side of the strait, a large-scale fire was reported at the Kavkaz Port in the Krasnodar region, a crucial logistics hub used by Moscow for supplying Crimea. This port houses fuel terminals and oil depots.

Satellite data indicate that the smoke from the fires in the Kerch area spread over approximately 66 kilometers. In addition to these fires, residents in several cities and districts within occupied Crimea reported explosions and the activation of Russian anti-air defense systems. Explosions were noted in Kerch, Simferopol, Sevastopol, and Bakhchysarai, as well as in the districts of Nizhnykh Khirsk, Krasnogvardeyksky, and Krasnoperekopsk. Authorities in Russia temporarily suspended traffic on the Kerch Bridge, the main terrestrial link between Russia and the annexed peninsula.

The attacks did not stop at energy infrastructure. Satellite images showed fires near the railway bridge at Chonhar, one of the primary transportation routes between Crimea and the occupied territories in southern Ukraine. In Kerch, a fire was reported on the territory of the Russian Military Unit 98546, where the 630th Independent Railway Battalion is stationed. Another fire spot was identified at Cape Ziyuk on the coast of the Sea of Azov, near the town of Kurortne. This area hosts Russian anti-air defense systems, including radar and launchers such as the S-300 or S-400.

Ukraine's strategy appears to focus on isolating Crimea by targeting its energy and logistical infrastructure used by the Russian army. In recent months, Crimea has become a primary target of Ukrainian drone campaigns aimed at striking targets located between 25 and 200 kilometers behind the front lines. Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov recently stated that these drone operations are gradually turning Crimea into an island by disrupting supply chains connecting the peninsula to the rest of the Russian Federation. In response to repeated strikes, authorities installed by Moscow in Crimea introduced a fuel ticket system and limited the amount of gasoline that can be purchased by the population.

The attacks on June 21 came just a day after Ukrainian forces announced they had attacked four gas compression stations in occupied Crimea, located in the towns of Yuravlivka, Aromatne, Klyuchi, and Lozhivka. Around the same time, Ukrainian drones also targeted the oil refinery in Tyumen, in Western Siberia, located about 1,000 kilometers away from the conflict zone.

Satellite images published by the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces show that the railway bridge over the Northern Crimean Canal was hit during attacks on June 22 and 23. The bridge was described as a strategic military-logistical artery for occupiers, part of a transport corridor for moving goods, resources, and military equipment in two key directions: from Russian territory through Crimea to support troops on the southern front, and within the peninsula to maintain the functioning of the Crimean military infrastructure.

Representatives of the Crimean business community have already begun calculating losses and warning of an inevitable collapse due to fuel problems. Some citizens are upset by the silence of the authorities. A lawyer from one of the Crimean companies noted that declaring a state of emergency, as declared by self-proclaimed "Head of the Republic of Crimea" Sergey Aksenov, would require canceling tax payments, allowing claims for compensation, and generally shifting the situation into a legal responsibility framework for the consequences. Some vacationers, upon learning about restrictions on fuel sales, decided to end their holidays early. Some residents believe it is time to flee Crimea.

One of the leading Russian military bloggers, linked to the Ministry of Defense, calculated the potential effects of a combined strike by Ukrainian defense forces on key military, energy, and transport infrastructure in the peninsula. In the modeled scenario, more than 60 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles "Flamingo," over a hundred strike drones of type FP-2, about 14 modernized cruise missiles "Neptune," and several units of new maritime or underwater unmanned complexes TLK-1000 would be simultaneously deployed. According to the Russian blogger, this combination could completely cut off Crimea from the main supply routes from the mainland part of Russia.

A massive fire continues to burn at marine infrastructure related to the Kerch Port following an attack by Ukrainian drones. Smoke from the fire partially covered the Crimean Bridge, according to satellite images. The fire is burning at a facility for transporting heavy fuel oil, liquefied gas, and light petroleum products. Reports indicate that the fire has engulfed 4-5 fuel tanks out of 7 on the premises of the "TES-Terminal" company.

In the night of June 21, Ukraine attacked objects on both sides of the illegally built Russian bridge in Crimea. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the enemy's military logistics, the oil industry, and air defense were hit. Additionally, today, June 21, Gauleiter of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev informed that there are power supply issues in Crimea. "Sebastopolenergo" began publishing power outage schedules in some settlements on the peninsula.

The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces posted a message on social media platform Threads, hinting that the Crimean Bridge might not last much longer. They indicated that they saw the Crimean Bridge very close and from different angles during the night. They also showed a satellite image showing that the oil base in Kerch, attacked by Ukrainian drones this night, is very close to the Crimean Bridge.

Users on Threads actively commented on the post from the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces:

"We are waiting for the day when the bridge will not be seen anywhere except the bottom of the sea! Thank you for your work."

"We are waiting for a post saying you looked from different angles but didn't see anything."

"We bought all the popcorn from ATB in anticipation of the premiere."

"We are waiting for the misunderstanding to be destroyed! Glory to Ukraine."

In addition to the fires in Kerch, strong fires were recorded in the Kavkaz Port on the Russian side of the Kerchen Strait, where facilities for loading and unloading petroleum products and waiting areas for ferry transports are burning. Monitoring channels report that the attacks may have affected industrial zones and the TES-Terminal, while the fire has engulfed large fuel containers.