Ukraine destroys Putin’s last railway ferry in Crimea

The Ukrainian military has reported that they have inflicted significant damage on Russia’s last railway ferry in Crimea, which was used to transport military equipment to Vladimir Putin’s forces in the occupied peninsula. The Ukrainian general staff released an image showing a dark plume of smoke rising from the burning ship and described it as “the third and last railway ferry that Russia had in that area.”

The ferry, named Slavianin, was targeted in a drone strike carried out by Ukraine in the southern Russian port of Kavkaz, located just seven miles from the Kerch Bridge. The Kerch Bridge is the only direct land link between Russia and Crimea. According to Veniamin Kondratyev, the regional governor of Krasnodar, one person was killed and several others were injured in the attack. The extent of the damage to the ferry is still unknown.

The Ukrainian general staff stated on the Telegram messaging app that the ferry was used by the occupiers to transport railway wagons, motor vehicles, and containers for military purposes. The ferry crossing between Krasnodar Krai and occupied Crimea is an important logistical route for Russia to reinforce its troops in southern Ukraine.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, pointed out that Russian forces frequently use ferries in the area to alleviate pressure on the Russian ground line of communication between Krasnodar Krai and occupied Crimea via the Kerch Strait Bridge. The Kerch Bridge often faces closures, including military hardware, due to the risk of Ukrainian attacks.

The bridge has been the target of multiple missile and sea drone attacks by Ukraine, as they seek to disrupt the strategic crossing and challenge Vladimir Putin’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Ferries are essential for maintaining the flow of goods between the Russian mainland and the peninsula.

In May, Ukraine’s SBU security service and armed forces conducted a joint operation that targeted two ferries heading to Kavkaz in a missile attack. On the same night, the SBU and Ukrainian navy launched another missile attack on an oil depot at the port. The port is one of the largest in the country and is used by Russia for exporting oil and grain across the Black Sea.

Ukrainian forces have long aimed to disrupt Russia’s lines of communication out of Crimea and weaken Putin’s hold on the peninsula. They see this as a way to project strength and negotiate a resolution to the ongoing conflict. Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, expressed confidence in their strategy to free Crimea from Russian rule and emphasized the importance of liberating their citizens who are suffering in the occupied territories.

The destruction of Russia’s last railway ferry in Crimea marks a significant blow to their military logistics in the region. It remains to be seen how Russia will respond and whether this development will have any impact on the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.