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Ukraine has reportedly removed three bridges over the Seym River in Russia’s Kursk region.
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Analysts say this could cut off Russian troops from accessing supplies and give Ukraine greater control over the area.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pledged to create a “buffer zone” to protect Ukraine.
Ukraine has destroyed strategic bridges in Russia’s Kursk region to isolate Russian forces there and strengthen defenses, military experts say.
Ukrainian forces have been on the offensive in the Kursk region since their surprise attack on August 6, capturing about 10,000 residents. 386 miles of land within a few days and advancing further and further into Russian territory.
Ukraine is said to have carried out an attack over the weekend two bridges — one across the Seym River in the Glushkovsky District and another across the Seym in the village of Svannoe, according to Russian officials.
Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk shared footage that appears to show the two strikes, but did not specify where they took place.
Russian military bloggers also claimed on Monday that Ukraine had hit a third bridge over the Seym in the village of Karyzh. A Russian news outlet also reported reported about the development.
Business Insider was unable to independently verify the strike.
According to military experts and open-source intelligence analysts, the destruction of the bridges could hamper Russia’s logistical lines, depriving Russian forces south of the river of access to military supplies, helping Ukraine tighten its grip on the region.
According to Alex Kokcharov, risk analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence, the destruction of the bridges leaves Russian forces with only one makeshift pontoon bridge to supply their units.
He also said in an X after On Monday it was announced that the pontoon bridge was “within the range of Ukrainian artillery fire”, putting Russian soldiers crossing the bridge at risk.
Jimmy Rushton, an independent security analyst based in Kiev, made a similar statement in a after on Saturday, after a second bridge was reportedly hit.
He said the destruction of the bridges “seriously” complicates Russian logistics and isolates Russian troops on the “wrong side of the river.”
John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Ukraine removed the bridges to widen its borders in the Kursk region, strengthen its defenses and use the river as a natural defensive barrier.
“Russian forces seeking to retake that area face logistical constraints,” he told BI.
In a address On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine wants to create a “buffer zone” in Kursk.
Emil Kastehelmi, a military analyst at the Black Bird Group, a Finland-based open-source intelligence service, told BI that Ukraine is likely looking for possible directions in which its forces can continue their offensive in the Kursk region. The Tetkino-Glushkovo axis could be one of them.
“Given that there are only a limited number of strategic objectives to be achieved in Kursk, the Ukrainians are probably aiming for operational victories,” he said.
“A quick operation without unnecessary losses in Glushkovo could be one,” he added.
Kastehelmi said destroying the bridges was part of the strategy to capture the area, but added that Russia was likely prepared for that scenario and would likely build more temporary bridges across the river to supply its troops.
“The river is not small, but it is not extremely wide either, so it should not be a big problem to build more temporary bridges,” he said.
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