Ukraine may have struck the most important bridge in Crimea’s supply network—and it’s not the Kerch Bridge. In this video, we break down the devastating attack on the Chonhar Bridge, the debut of Ukraine’s powerful new Behemoth drone, and how Kyiv’s strategy to isolate Crimea is entering a critical phase. As Russian logistics collapse and fuel shortages grow, could this be the beginning of the end for Moscow’s grip on the peninsula? Watch to find out.
00:00 - Ukraine Military Strategy to Liberate Occupied Crimea
01:57 - Ukraine Drone Strike Damages Strategic Chonhar Bridge
06:52 - Ukraine Unveils New Behemoth Strike Drone Capabilities
10:05 - Ukraine Logistics Lockdown Program Causes Crimea Fuel Crisis
13:49 - Can Ukraine Force the Russian Military Out of Crimea?
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SOURCES: https://pastebin.com/N4hRmqrE
00:00 - Ukraine Military Strategy to Liberate Occupied Crimea
01:57 - Ukraine Drone Strike Damages Strategic Chonhar Bridge
06:52 - Ukraine Unveils New Behemoth Strike Drone Capabilities
10:05 - Ukraine Logistics Lockdown Program Causes Crimea Fuel Crisis
13:49 - Can Ukraine Force the Russian Military Out of Crimea?
Support us directly as we bring you independent, up-to-date reporting on military news and global conflicts by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMilitaryShow/join
#militarystrategy #militarydevelopments #militaryanalysis
#themilitaryshow
SOURCES: https://pastebin.com/N4hRmqrE
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NewsTranscript
00:00To kill the body, go for the jugular vein. Ukraine knows this approach well,
00:04and has just delivered a devastating slice to the main artery that is keeping occupied Crimea alive.
00:111.5 million Russians are now looking at their decision to occupy Crimea and despairing.
00:16The final phase of Ukraine's plan for the de-Russification of Crimea begins now,
00:21and it all comes down to a bridge. But it's not the bridge you're thinking about.
00:26So much attention is paid to the Kerch Bridge, which connects mainland Russia to Crimea,
00:31and rightly so. Russia poured at least $3.7 billion into building its 19km lifeline
00:36into the occupied peninsula for a reason. It was supposed to serve as the key direct road link
00:41that connects Russia to Crimea, making it vital for Putin's military. But that major bridge isn't
00:47the only one that is helping Putin to ensure that Crimea stays Russified. There's another one,
00:52and it has arguably been even more important to Russia from the very moment that Putin invaded.
00:57Located near the village of Chenar, this bridge connects the occupied southern regions of Ukraine
01:02to Crimea. It runs through the Kherson Oblast as part of the Zhankoi crossing, and it's part of a
01:08major land route that connects occupied Crimea to portions of Ukraine that are currently under Russian
01:13control. In short, this bridge and the roads that it connects are vital for Russia, as they serve as
01:18a logistics corridor that allows troops and supplies to be shuttled between Kherson and Crimea.
01:24Even more than that, the Chenar Bridge has symbolic importance. When Putin launched his invasion,
01:29it was this bridge that enabled Russia to shuttle troops into southern Ukraine quickly.
01:33The Chenar Bridge was a major reason why Russia was able to enjoy so much success during the early
01:37weeks of the war, and there is even speculation that turncoats inside Ukrainian intelligence enabled
01:43Russia to use that bridge to overwhelm the Ukrainian south early in the invasion.
01:47That speculation hasn't led to any major arrests. Still, it highlights that the Chenar Bridge is
01:52often overshadowed by the much larger and much more impressive Kerch Bridge. Ukraine just brought
01:57that bridge back into the spotlight. The news broke on June 7. An overnight drone operation carried out
02:03by the Ukrainian military had targeted the Chenar Bridge. The operation succeeded. The bridge has been
02:08damaged so heavily that it will probably take months to repair, meaning a vital lifeline that connects
02:13Crimea to occupied Ukraine has been severed. This is the jugular vein taking a slice from which it
02:18may not recover. And what we are seeing here is the entry into the final phase of Ukraine's plan to
02:22liberate Crimea. First, Ukraine isolates. Then it destroys. That strategy is creating all sorts of
02:29problems for Putin, as you will soon learn. But first, there is a strike to cover. According to the Kyiv
02:35Independent, Ukraine's first separate assault battalion teamed up with the country's Code 9.2
02:40drone unit for a joint operation that shattered the bridge. Ukraine's goal was simple. Cut off the
02:46only major route that Russia is able to use to deliver personnel and supplies from occupied Crimea
02:50to the front lines in the Hulya Polis sector. Dmitry Filatov, who is the commander of the 1st
02:56Separate Assault Battalion, pointed out that this wasn't a strike conducted simply because Ukraine had
03:00the opportunity. There was a specific purpose. This was done specifically to block the supply routes for
03:05fuel and lubricants for the 37th Motor Rifle Brigade, Filatov declares. What we see here is a
03:10Ukrainian strategy that has worked wonders throughout 2026, shattered logistics in the
03:15rear to weaken Russia on the front. The result was a strike that Oleksandr Nastankov of the Code
03:219.2 unit claims will require a colossal amount of work to repair. And there can be no doubt that
03:26Ukraine
03:27did precisely what it has claimed to have done. The Code 9.2 unit showed us how the sausage was
03:31made for
03:31this strike in a June 7th video. The highlight comes at around the one-minute mark when we see
03:36the view from the drones that Ukraine used as they crash into the Kherson to Crimea jugular vein.
03:41We also get a glimpse into the inner workings of a Ukrainian drone operation, with the occasional
03:45shot of a command center revealing just how high-tech this operation was.
03:49This is not an isolated action, it is systematic work, the video's description declares.
03:54It's also work that has seen Ukraine use a brand new middle-range drone for the very first time.
03:59But before we get to that, the Code 9.2 unit's video isn't the only direct evidence we have
04:04that the Chenar bridge has been heavily damaged. More comes from Russia's authorities. They are
04:09panicking and they should be. They now have to try to explain to Putin why a bridge that was key
04:14to
04:14the Russian war effort was struck and why Russia's air defenses once again utterly failed to stop
04:19Ukraine's attack. The new drone has something to do with that, but for Russia all that matters right
04:24now is the damage. The Russian puppet Volodymyr Saldo, who the Kremlin has installed as the head of
04:29occupied Kherson, has confirmed that damage has been caused to the bridge that crosses Lake Sivash
04:34to connect occupied Ukraine to Crimea. As a result of a night UAV attack,
04:38the bridge deck was damaged in the area of the Chenar settlement. For security reasons,
04:42traffic through the Zhankoi checkpoint has been temporarily blocked. Vehicles are passing
04:46through the Amiensk and Perikop checkpoints, Saldo reported.
04:49There are a couple of interesting points in this comment. First, there is no mention of drone debris.
04:53The old fallback hasn't been made, which tells us that Saldo hasn't got the memo from Moscow.
04:58You're not supposed to confirm that Ukraine was successful, Saldo. You're supposed to tell the
05:03world that Russian air defenses were so successful that they managed to blow up the Ukrainian drones
05:07at the precise spots that Ukraine wanted to hit. There are also the checkpoints that Saldo mentions.
05:12Amiensk and Perikop aren't exactly great alternatives. The latter is a very narrow route that isn't suitable
05:17for the large convoys of military equipment that Russia needs to shuttle between Crimea and the
05:21occupied southern regions of Ukraine. As for Amiensk, that's a little more robust. However,
05:25there just so happens to be a small bridge along that route that Russia needs to keep intact.
05:29If it wants to carry on using this checkpoint, is that going to be Ukraine's next target in its
05:34strategy to derusify Crimea? Time will tell. For now, Russia is scrambling to find alternatives
05:39to a route that connects to the R-280 highway that Ukraine has been battering for most of May.
05:44Ukraine's military and drone units have already taken partial aerial control over that highway,
05:48as they have destroyed dozens of Russian vehicles along this key stretch of road over the past few
05:52weeks. Now, the strategy has reached its next phase. First, take out the vehicles. Next, destroy
05:58the bridges that enable Russia to send those vehicles onto the R-280 in the first place.
06:02This is brilliant from Ukraine, and it's a potential Crimea loser for Russia.
06:06What we've just seen from Ukraine isn't the first, either. It's a long-awaited follow-up to an attack
06:10on the Chenar Bridge that occurred back in August 2023. That strike saw Ukraine use Storm Shadow
06:15missiles to temporarily shut down the bridge, though Russian authorities at the time claimed
06:19that only one of the missiles hit its target, with the rest being shot down by air defenses.
06:24Russia wasn't quite so lucky this time, and Ukraine didn't rely on a Western-made weapon
06:28for its latest strike against the Chenar Bridge. Every drone that hit home in the June 7th attack
06:33was made in Ukraine, and one of them was a drone that made its first ever appearance in the Ukraine
06:37war.
06:38That drone has the potential to be a game-changer for Ukraine. But before we dig into why,
06:43this is a quick reminder that you are watching the military show. If you're getting insight
06:46from the channel, make sure you subscribe so you never miss a video.
06:50So a new drone has entered the fight. What is it?
06:52The name tells you all that you need to know about why Ukraine's weapon is so dangerous.
06:56The Behemoth has landed. Many sources report that Ukraine unleashed its new drone
07:01for the first time alongside several FP drones made by Firepoint. The Behemoth is brand spanking new.
07:07It was only unveiled in May 2026, Pravda reports, and its specs show us that it is an impressive
07:12addition to Ukraine's middle-range strike arsenal. Developed by Culver Aerospace and Gleyfa,
07:18the Behemoth has a strike radius of around 300 kilometers and a unique dual warhead design
07:23that allows it to deliver a double dose of devastation to a target. The drone's nose is home
07:29to a high-explosive fragmentation warhead that weighs 40 kilograms. Behind that initial warhead is a second,
07:35one. Weighing 35 kilograms, this second warhead is Thermobaric, otherwise known as a vacuum bomb.
07:41These warheads are lethal. When they hit their target, an explosive charge opens a container
07:46which scatters a fuel mixture that can get into the tiniest of crevices as a cloud that emanates
07:51from the warhead. Then comes the secondary charge, which detonates the cloud and creates a massive
07:55fireball. The resulting blast wave generates a vacuum that sucks up all surrounding oxygen,
08:00making the warhead powerful enough to destroy equipment and take out reinforced buildings.
08:05Or in this case, to destroy a vital bridge that Russia needs to maintain its grip on Crimea.
08:10The Behemoth is as versatile in terms of targeting as it is damaging when it explodes.
08:15The drone offers a range of control modes, including FPV operation and both autonomous
08:19and semi-autonomous navigation to ensure that it reaches its target. It's also a low-flying drone,
08:24which makes it incredibly difficult for air defense systems to intercept.
08:28Though systems are scanning the skies, the Behemoth flies right under their radar to strike.
08:33We're getting a sense of how Ukraine took out the Chenar Bridge now. FP drones likely did the initial
08:39damage, striking with payloads of around 170kg, assuming it was the FP2 that Ukraine used for
08:45its attack. That might not have been enough to destroy the bridge, but it would do damage and
08:49create the sorts of cracks and crevices that the Behemoth can exploit. A follow-up thermobarracks
08:54strike would have been all that was needed to turn those cracks into gaping holes, taking the
08:58Chenar Bridge out of commission for the foreseeable future. For Russia, the loss of the Chenar Bridge
09:03is a massive blow, and if Ukraine is now looking in the direction of the Amiensk route that Russia
09:07has chosen as the alternative, another bridge may soon receive a visit from the Behemoth.
09:12Slowly but surely, Ukraine is cutting off every land route that Russia has into occupied Crimea,
09:17and it may be getting ready to strike the largest of those routes once more.
09:21We mentioned the Kerch Bridge at the beginning of the video. There was a reason for that.
09:24On June 5, the news broke that Ukraine had taken out a Russian border patrol ship that was assigned
09:28to protect the Kerch Bridge. The Svitlyak-class ship was struck the day before the report,
09:33and it is part of the layered naval security network that Russia created around the bridge.
09:37That network is supposed to monitor all maritime approaches. Ukraine just took out part of it.
09:42What we may be seeing here is Ukraine setting up for the finale. A strike on the Kerch Bridge to
09:47follow up on the destruction of the Chenar Bridge would send a clear message to Putin.
09:51All your land routes belong to Ukraine. Crimea will follow suit.
09:55Ukraine struck big on June 7, and it may be setting up for something even bigger in the future,
10:00as it quietly goes about dismantling Russia's Kerch Bridge security network.
10:04But now let's focus on Crimea. The 1.5 million Russians who occupy the peninsula will be watching
10:10on with horror. Once again, they've seen a strike that cuts them off from the Ukrainian mainland,
10:14and they're crying out for help from the Kremlin that isn't going to come. This is Ukraine's
10:18middle strike strategy in action, and this campaign is setting up the final phase of
10:22the de-Russification of Crimea. Russia's rear, and especially the portions that serve Crimea,
10:27has been taking a beating throughout May and into June. We've already mentioned Ukraine's
10:31strikes against the R-280 highway, and the attack on the Chenar Bridge feeds into those strikes.
10:36Severing that land corridor was one of the main objectives of the failed Ukrainian counteroffensive of
10:412023. The approach being taken now is different. Ukraine isn't looking to occupy yet. It's shooting
10:47for control with an asymmetric campaign that relies heavily on the new generation of middle-range
10:51drones that have grabbed the spotlight in 2026. Toward the end of May, Ukraine's defense minister
10:57Mikhailo Fedorov announced the formation of the logistics lockdown program, which will see the
11:02ministry funnel almost $113 million into drone units that are taking out Russian logistics in the
11:07rear. That program builds on more than 1,000 geolocated middle-range strikes that Ukraine
11:12has already conducted in 2026, the new voice of Ukraine reports, and it happens to coincide
11:17with a campaign against the R-280 that has turned this vital land bridge into a highway from hell.
11:22But it's not just the R-280 and the bridges that connect occupied Ukraine to the road that are in
11:26Ukraine's sights. Literally anything that serves the Russian occupation of Crimea is in the firing
11:31line of Ukraine's new drones. Anybody who has paid attention to how Ukraine conducts strikes
11:35will already be able to guess that the shattering of the Chinar Bridge wasn't the country's only
11:40objective on June 7th. The same day also saw Ukraine's special operations forces carrying
11:45out a devastating series of strikes against Russian oil infrastructure inside Crimea itself.
11:50Both the Semiklodesyansk oil depot and a maritime fuel terminal in Theodosia ended up in the firing
11:56line as Ukraine continues a campaign that is designed to starve occupied Crimea of the fuel that plays a
12:01role in helping Putin maintain control. Take away the fuel and you will strip the will of 1.5 million
12:06occupiers to remain on the peninsula. What we're seeing here is a layered middle-range strategy that
12:10is choking Russia at every point. With the Chinar Bridge attack, Ukraine cuts Russian supply and
12:15troop shipments off at the source. Attacks on the R-280 highway cripple the vehicles that Russia is
12:20sending to and from Crimea. And with attacks on oil depots and terminals inside Crimea itself, Ukraine is
12:26taking out what fuel is already on the peninsula, which builds on the problems that its strikes
12:30inside occupied Ukraine are creating. The writing is on the wall for Crimea. Ukraine is moving into
12:36the final phase of its de-Russification strategy, and Russia seems unable to do anything about it.
12:41The middle-range campaign is making all of this possible. Drones like the Behemoth simply didn't
12:45exist in Ukraine's arsenal as little as a year ago. Now those drones are limiting Russia's ability to
12:50conduct operational maneuvers on the front because they are tearing through command centers,
12:54logistics and troop gatherings in the rear. For Crimea, which isn't on the front, the situation is
12:59different. The peninsula was supposed to be a safe haven from which Russia could deploy troops
13:03and send equipment into occupied regions of Ukraine. As Ukraine's drones grow stronger and
13:07rangier, that haven has become a hell. Crimea is being hit directly and it's feeling the impact of the
13:13logistics lockdown program that is choking off the peninsula's fuel supply. Fuel shortages abound.
13:19Since late May, motorists in the port city of Sevastopol have been limited to purchasing
13:2420 liters of fuel per vehicle and there is a blanket ban on filling up fuel containers.
13:28Images of queues stretching for as far as the eye can see are emerging from Crimea and they're
13:33being accompanied by photographs of flaming wreckages of fuel trucks that are supposed to
13:37be supporting the peninsula. Gas stations all across Crimea are now running out of fuel entirely.
13:43Ukraine is bringing the war back to the 1.5 million occupiers that Putin inserted into the peninsula,
13:48but the Crimea strategy is about so much more than that. Isolation is the goal.
13:53The queues at Crimean gas stations are the most visible sign of this isolation in action.
13:58Ukraine is cutting off fuel, but it's also ruining the Crimean defenses that Putin has erected.
14:02A campaign of strikes against the peninsula has been designed to make Putin's position in Crimea
14:07untenable. From a strategic point of view, Crimea is slowly becoming useless to Russia as a military asset.
14:13Yes, drone teams can still launch attacks against Ukraine's cities from the peninsula.
14:18However, the Black Sea Fleet has been penned back and Ukraine is now cutting off the logistical
14:22routes between Crimea and the occupied territories. Cutting off roads is key to the isolation that
14:27will make Crimea unusable for Russia. For Ukraine, this is all about forcing Putin to relinquish his
14:32grip on the peninsula. If Ukraine can retake control, it can then reach occupied settlements such
14:37as Budyansk and Mariupol and develop a stronger presence in the Sea of Azov.
14:42Crimea is the lynchpin, the focal point. Ukraine and Russia know it and it's Ukraine that has
14:47taken the initiative in the battle for the peninsula. All of this is compounded by the fact that preserving
14:52the Russian military presence in Crimea is Putin's priority. That means most of the pressure from
14:56Ukraine's strikes is being exerted on the civilians of the peninsula and the puppet government that
15:01Putin installed. That government has to explain why there's no fuel at gas stations and why Russia's
15:06defenses are completely failing to stop Ukraine's drones, both in Crimea and inside the occupied
15:11territories. What we're now seeing is Ukraine transforming what is supposed to be one of
15:15Putin's biggest assets into a liability that he can't afford to maintain. By choking off Crimea,
15:20Ukraine prevents Russians from attacking vulnerable portions of the mainland directly.
15:24Ukraine also forces Putin into making difficult choices. If Russia funnels more defenses into
15:29Crimea, it weakens itself on the front line and inside its own territory. But failing to replace what
15:34Ukraine destroys leaves Crimea vulnerable to more strikes that send an even stronger message that
15:39it's time for 1.5 million occupiers to get out. The Chenar Bridge was a lifeline for occupied Crimea.
15:45That's why we called it the jugular vein. Ukraine has sliced that vein open with an attack using a new
15:50drone. Russia will work day and night on repairs, but they won't matter. Even if the bridge is brought
15:55back online, the behemoth and its FP brethren lie in wait, ready to strike once more. Other land routes,
16:01up to and including the Kerch Bridge, are also at risk. This is the final phase of Crimea's
16:06de-Russification. The behemoth has landed and the Chenar Bridge is just the start. And it's not just
16:11the behemoth that is a new drone taking out Russian logistics. On the R280 highway, another Ukrainian
16:16innovation is wreaking havoc. The war god Morrigan is here and it's crippling Russia's Crimean supply
16:21lines. Find out more about this new drone and how Ukraine has been using it in our video. And if
16:26you
16:26enjoyed this video, remember to subscribe to The Military Show for daily updates on the latest
16:31developments in the Ukraine war. And thank you as always for watching.
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