Ukraine said it destroyed a bridge strategically important for Russia during the war on Friday. The remains of another destroyed bridge are pictured on May 7, 2022 near Irpin, Ukraine. Alexey Furman/Getty
Ukraine’s military said it had destroyed a bridge of strategic importance to Russian forces while announcing “confirmed enemy casualties” on Friday.
The Ukrainian task force south reported on Facebook that the situation was “under control” on Friday but “tense”. A key victory may have been the destruction of a bridge over the Nova Kakhovka dam in Russian-held territory in central Ukraine. Ukraine said the bridge’s destruction was particularly notable because it was the last bridge Russia would use to transport military equipment in the Kherson region.
“Today the Armed Forces of Ukraine targeted the last one – the fourth bridge connecting the Right and Left Banks,” Kherson Governor Serhiy Khlan wrote in a separate Facebook post. “That means the Russians no longer have the option of completely transferring their equipment.”
“Of course they will try to fix it, look for an alternative crossing, but it takes time and money, and once they prepare and gather equipment and strength, we will destroy it again,” he added.
Ukrainian military said Friday’s casualties to Russia also included the deaths of 46 soldiers and the destruction of 15 armored vehicles. Ukraine also said 11 Russian ships and boats remained in the Black Sea, including at least two capable of launching missiles.
The attack that destroyed the bridge is said to have been in response to a Russian missile fired from a Sukhoi Su-35 aircraft in Mykolaiv province. Ukraine said the Russian missile caused no casualties or significant destruction.
In a Telegram post on Friday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said some 43,200 soldiers had been killed since Russia invaded the country on February 24.
The total number of Russian soldiers injured during the war is unclear. Colin Kahl, Secretary of Defense at the US Department of Defense, said during a news conference Monday that Russia had “probably 70 or 80,000 casualties,” including both wounded and dead.
If Kahl’s figure is correct, Russian forces would have suffered more casualties in the six months in Ukraine than the US military did in the entire War of Independence, which lasted more than eight years.
The Ukrainian military also said that Russia’s total losses were 1,849 tanks, 4,108 armored vehicles, 136 air defense systems, 233 aircraft, 193 helicopters, 778 drones, 975 artillery systems, 261 anti-aircraft missiles, 85 cruise missiles, 13 ships and boats, 90 special equipment and 3,021 other vehicles and fuel tanks.
The Ukrainian army said Thursday the Russian military launched airstrikes in eastern Ukraine to “make up for the loss of personnel and equipment.” Ukraine said the attacks and Russian attempts to advance further east were either “unsuccessful” or only “partially successful”.
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian government for comment.