ISW comments on Ukraine's Defence Forces' strikes on bridges in occupied territory

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has called the strikes conducted by Ukraine’s Defence Forces on bridges in the occupied territory "a part of the Ukrainian interdiction campaign" to create conditions for decisive counteroffensive operations.

Source: ISW

Details: ISW noted that "Ukrainian forces struck two key road bridges along critical Russian grounds lines of communication (GLOCs) connecting occupied Crimea and occupied Kherson Oblast".

As a result, on 6 August, Russian troops were forced to divert traffic from shorter eastern routes to longer western routes.

At the same time, Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces used Storm Shadow cruise missiles to carry out both strikes, however ISW has not yet seen any confirmation that Russian forces intercepted Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

ISW pointed out that Ukraine’s Defence Forces strikes on bridges along critical Russian routes are part of the Ukrainian interdiction campaign, aimed at creating conditions for future decisive counteroffensive operations.

ISW also noted that Ukrainian troops continued counteroffensive operations on at least two frontline areas on 6 August.

ISW said "Ukrainian officials stated that Ukrainian air defences have destroyed 3,500 aerial targets since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on 6 August that Ukrainian air defences have intercepted and destroyed more than 2,000 Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (types were not specified), while Ukrainian pilots had made more than 14,000 sorties since 24 February 2022.

To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 6 August:

• Ukrainian forces struck two key road bridges along critical Russian grounds lines of communication (GLOCs) connecting occupied Crimea and occupied Kherson Oblast on 6 August, causing Russian forces to reroute road traffic from shorter eastern routes to longer western routes.
• Ukrainian strikes on bridges along critical Russian GLOCs are a part of the Ukrainian interdiction campaign focused on setting conditions for future decisive counteroffensive operations.
• Russian forces conducted one of the largest missile and drone strike series on Ukraine in recent months on the night of 5-6 August.
• Ukrainian officials stated that Ukrainian air defences have destroyed 3,500 aerial targets since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.
• International talks aimed at drafting the main principles for a future settlement to the war in Ukraine continued in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 6 August.
• Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov gave an unclear and contradictory answer to a New York Times reporter who asked whether Russia seeks to conquer more Ukrainian territory beyond the four partially occupied oblasts that Russia illegally annexed in September 2022.
• Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations on at least two sectors of the front on 6 August.
• Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, near Bakhmut, along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line, in the Zaporizhzhia-Donetsk Oblast border area, and in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast 6 August and made advances in certain areas.
• Russian occupation authorities in Ukraine continue establishing institutional linkages between Russian and Ukrainian governance structures and social services in occupied Ukraine. 

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